home.

LUCILLE. [_Quickly._] Then you had better wait.

BISHOP. Very well. [_He goes out, sits down_, LUCILLE _begins to
type; the telephone rings. Before answering, she closes door,
shutting out the_ BISHOP.]

LUCILLE. Hello? Yes, Mrs. Prescott. Not yet, but he took the
eleven-thirty train out of Washington and should be here any
moment. [_Listens._] At the Colony? I'll tell him the minute he
comes in. [_Hangs up._]

[_In a moment the door opens_, PRESCOTT _stands in the doorway,
with his back turned, speaking to the_ BISHOP.]

PRESCOTT. I'll be with you in a minute, James. [_Enters and shuts
the door._]

LUCILLE. Oh, Mr. Prescott! You had a good trip, I hope?

PRESCOTT. No. It wasn't very good.

LUCILLE. Oh, I'm sorry! And it spoiled your weekend, too.

PRESCOTT. Spoiled everything. Well, it can't be helped. Anything
need my attention here?

LUCILLE. It's been very quiet. Your wife telephoned. She said she'd
be at the Colony Club, and would you 'phone her there.

PRESCOTT. All right. Is that all?

LUCILLE. That's about all.

PRESCOTT. How long has Bishop Holden been waiting?

LUCILLE. About an hour.

PRESCOTT. What does he want?

LUCILLE. He didn't say.

PRESCOTT. Why didn't you tell him I couldn't see him today?

LUCILLE. He said he'd go to your house if he couldn't see you here,
so I ...

PRESCOTT. Can't I get any protection around here? You could have
said I was out of town for the weekend.

LUCILLE. I didn't think of that.

PRESCOTT. You never think of anything.--Send him in.

[LUCILLE _goes out_; BISHOP _enters._]

BISHOP. Seeing you brings back old times.

PRESCOTT. I'm glad to see you, James. Although [_Looks at watch._]
If you'd let me know I might have kept myself free....

BISHOP. I won't keep you long.

PRESCOTT. Sit down.

BISHOP. Stanley, I'm in trouble. I've come to you for help.

PRESCOTT. [_Wary._] I needn't tell you that anything in my power ...

BISHOP. You're a business man.

PRESCOTT. When there is business.

BISHOP. You believe in our American system of government.

PRESCOTT. Certainly, certainly. The system we did have.

BISHOP. So do I. Sincerely. I have the deepest, profoundest faith
in our democracy.

PRESCOTT. [_Impatient with the other's irrelevancy._] The world
has not yet found anything better.

BISHOP. But unless we do something it won't last beyond our
generation.

PRESCOTT. Nonsense.

BISHOP. Social unrest is growing. Young people, in