Their son Solon, the protagonist, meets Benecia Wallin; although she is affluent and he is not, they get married.

Solon works in a bank in Philadelphia, where his Quaker values are contrary to financial ethos.

He summons a bank examiner from Washington DC to stop the corrupt practices of some chief executives.

While Orville gets married and Isobel works in a college, Etta moves to Wisconsin and then Greenwich Village under the influence of one of her friends, Volida La Porte.

Moreover, Stewart accidentally kills one of his dates and commits suicide shortly after.