"It won't do. If I thought that nationalism would go on to the scrap heap, at the end of the war, along with the power of kings, I'd believe that the whole holocaust was purposeful, not accident." "But what are you going to do with patriotism, Mr. Christiansen?" "Make it over. You can't psychologize it out of us, even if we admit that it is bad. It is an instinct, woven of many other instincts--pugnacity, group loyalty, egoism. But we can substitute the bigger group for the smaller; we can grow up to an international patriotism that shall be as fierce as that we know now, one that will conserve instead of destroy." "But how can we educate people to your new sort?" "They are educating themselves now. The capitalists and the workers begin to see that war does not pay. Women have always known it. When peace is declared we will organize that sentiment of intelligent selfishness into altruism." "Can we make a new world, with only old human nature to build it with, do you think?" "After all, old human nature is God-stuff, isn't it? We can do anything with it, if we can sweep out the old traditional beliefs, the bogus virtues, the Victorian moralities, and get a good twentieth-century fresh start." "It frightens one, doesn't it? It's such a big job." "So it is, and we can't more than start this afternoon," he laughed. "To come back to us, when may I have some manuscript?" "I will choose some things to-night, thanks." "Good. Here is a card with the address. Will you tell Miss Roberts that the man who picked her up after the accident came to inquire for her health?" "She will be disappointed." "As for me, I am well satisfied with the call I have made. I shall see you soon, my friend. Good-bye." "Good-bye," said Jane. Martin Christiansen startled pedestrians on the way uptown by the big boom of his humming, but in the shadowy studio Jane Judd sobbed her heart out for joy, because she had found a friend. CHAPTER VII The week after the pageant proved far from the rest time Jerry had planned. Every day brought him invitations. All sorts of new demands were made upon his time. In his hurried calls upon Bobs he tried to explain that this was a part of his job. He was playing the fish now; when he had them hooked and landed, he would be free. "If they don't pull the fisherman in after them, into the golden, dead sea," she gibed bitterly. "They won't get me, Bobsie," he boasted. Mrs. Abercrombie Brendon continued to act as his social sponsor. She wanted him in tow every minute. Jerry noticed that wherever she took him, by some strange chance, they came upon Althea Morton. He sat next her at dinner, at the opera; he danced with her, paid her compliments; but it began to dawn upon him that he was not doing the one thing Mrs. Brendon desired, making love to her.