ASHER. I'll tell you, George. When you came home this afternoon I realized something I hadn't realized before. I saw that the tide was against me, that I was like that old English king who set his throne on the sands and thought he could stay the waters. If--if anything had happened to you, I couldn't have fought on, but now that you're here with me again, now that you've risked your life and almost lost it for this--this new order in which you believe, why, it's enough for me--I can surrender with honour. I'm tired, I need a rest. I'd have gone down fighting, but I guess you've saved me. I've been true to my convictions,--you, who belong to the new generation, must be true to yours. And as I told you once, all I care about this business is to hand it over to you. GEORGE. You'll help me! ASHER. This seems to be Jonathan's speciality,--science. But I never give my word half heartedly, my boy, and I'll back you to my last dollar. Be prepared for disappointments,--but if you accomplish something, I'll be glad. And if you fail, George,--any failure for a man's convictions is a grand failure. GEORGE. Well, it means life to me, dad. I owe it to you. ASHER (turning toward DR. JONATHAN). No, you owe it to him,--to science. (He puts one hand on GEORGE'S shoulder, and the other, with an abrupt movement, on DR. JONATHAN'S.) And if science will do as much for democracy, then-- GEORGE. Then, you're from Missouri. Good old dad! ASHER (huskily, trying, to carry it off, and almost overcome by emotion at the reconciliation). I'm from Missouri, my boy. DR. JONATHAN. Then you're a true scientist, Asher, for science, too, waits to be shown. (ASHER goes out, lower right. Dr. JONATHAN, evidently in support and sympathy, goes with him. GEORGE and the committee look after them, and then GEORGE sits down, and smiles at the men.) GEORGE. And we've got to be scientists, too. Are you fellows willing to take your share in the experiment? HILLMAN. What experiment's that, Captain? GEORGE. Now that you've got your union, what's the good of it? RENCH (after a pause). Why, I thought we'd made that pretty clear, Captain. We've got something to fall back on in case the employers don't live up to their agreements. I'm not speaking of you-- GEORGE. In other words, you've got a weapon. RENCH. Well, you might call it that. GEORGE. But weapons imply warfare,--don't they? RENCH. We wouldn't fight with you. GEORGE. Yes, you would,--if our interests conflicted. When I was in the trenches I kept thinking of the quotation Lincoln used, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” We're going to try to perpetuate that house, just as he did. HILLMAN. Lincoln had common sense. GEORGE. Another name for intelligence. And what we've got to decide is whether the old house will do--for democracy--industrial democracy? Can we shore up the timbers--or shall we have to begin to build a new house?