"Before heaven, Roger, I did it solely for love of you. And you know I was brought up on admiration of Germany. I honestly thought that we could make you see it as I do. I've been seeing for days what a skunk trick it must have looked to you, but this obstinate streak in me wouldn't let me give up until Werner slanged America. Rog, I'll make it up to you somehow so you'll trust me again! See if I don't!"
"I'll trust you fast enough, old man, if you'll assure me that you're through with this superman stuff. Are you an American or a German, Ern?"
With a smile of extraordinary sweetness, Ernest put a hand on Roger's shoulder and said in a voice of utter sincerity, "I'm whatever you are, Roger. Thy country shall be my country and thy God, my God. After all, what is a man's country but the place of his loves and his friendships? And America has all of mine, Roger, all of mine."
The two men stood in silence after this until Roger said, brokenly, "Thank you, Ernest, you've made a new man of me."
"And now," said Ernest, briskly, "being considerably worse in debt than ever, the question before the house is whom do we do next?"
"I don't know! I swear I don't," Roger sighed, as he took one of Ernest's cigarettes.
Ernest gave a scornful laugh. "He doesn't know! the poor little woolly lamb! He doesn't know! with a plant such as is now established in the Prebles' backyard! Why, man, I could sell that to an Egyptian mummy."
Roger laughed and at the sound Dick called in through the open door,
"For the love of heaven, put us out of our misery! What's happened? We've been sweating blood!"
Both men hurried out to the porch. Seated in a solemn row on the steps were Charley, Dick and Elsa.