Even at his worst he had only lived the life of the other young men around him, the other young men who were received as much as ever, even though people, the girls themselves, practically knew of what they did, knew that they were often drunk, and that they frequented the society of abandoned women.

What had he done to merit this casting off?
What _could_ he have done?
He even went so far as to wonder if there was anything wrong about his father or his sudden death.
A little after one o'clock he heard Geary's whistle in the street outside.

"Hello, old man!" he cried as Vandover opened the window.

"I was just on my way home from the hoe-down; saw a light in your window and thought I'd call you up.

Say, have you got anything wet up there?
I'm extra dry." "Yes," said Vandover, "come on up!" "Did you hear what Beale said to me this evening ?" said Geary, as he mixed himself a cocktail at the sideboard.