Stanny returned the pressure of his arm. “Oh, blow off as much as you want to,” he grumbled. “Don’t mind my cursing.” He struggled with what he had next to say: “The truth is . . . the truth is . . . I need you too. There is no curtain between us. . . . But I’ll never admit it again.” Then very gruffly: “And don’t think you have me explained with your literary phrases!” “I don’t, really. All my life I’ll be speculating about you, without ever being sure of anything.” “Well, don’t let me know you’re doing it, that’s all.” * * * * * When he opened his eyes in the morning, Stanny looked at Wilfred in horror. “My God! what a lot of rot we talked last night! We were drunk! For God’s sake forget it, Wilf!” “Sure,” said Wilfred, grinning. PART THREE: YOUNG MEN PART THREE I Immediately upon the closing of the Stock Exchange at noon on Saturday, Theodore Dodge came to Joe Kaplan’s office. Dodge was a stockbroker, who enjoyed the prestige of being known as the financial advisor, and representative on ’change of Cooper Gillett, present head of the famous old New York family. Joe was expecting a communication from that quarter. The Gillett millions had always been invested in New York real estate, but Cooper Gillett was interesting himself more and more in Wall street. Only a few people knew that it was Joe Kaplan who had introduced him to the excitements of that game. Dodge plumped himself down, and without preamble said gloomily: “It closed two points higher.” Joe nodded, good-humoredly. All the strings of this affair were safely in his hands, and he had only to jerk a finger here and there, to make things come about as he wished. “Of course the stock began to show strength as soon as I stopped selling,” Dodge went on: “Everybody was watching me. I sent three messages to Cooper Gillett from the floor, and got no answer. Finally I left the floor, and went to his office. Keep and Shriver were with him. He was biting his nails in a blue funk. When I asked for additional orders to sell, he flew into a passion. ‘I’m already short forty thousand shares of the damned stock!’ he cried. ‘Suppose she jumps five points more? I should be seriously embarrassed!’ “We all laughed a little at this,” Dodge went on. “‘Seriously embarrassed’ sounded comic, coming from him. ‘How about the rest of us?’ said I. ‘We have all put every cent we possessed into this.’ “‘The more fools, you!’ he said. “‘We followed you in,’ I reminded him. “‘Yah! and now you look to me to get you out again!’ he snarled. ‘I must throw away a million maybe, to save your paltry thousands!’