IfIwereaman，andsuchmenasMr。RedbrookandMr。Jenneyknewmeandbelievedsufficientlyinmeandinmyintegrityofpurposetoaskmetobetheircandidate“hereshehesitatedaninstant，“andIbelievedthatthecausewereagoodone，Ishouldnothavefeltjustifiedinrefusing。
ThatiswhatImeant。Ihavealwaysthoughtofyouasamanofforceandamanofaction。ButIdidnotsee——theobstacleinyourway。“
Shehesitatedoncemore，andadded，withacouragewhichdidnotfailofitsdirectappeal，“Ididnotrealizethatyouwouldbepubliclyopposingyourfather。AndIdidnotrealizethatyouwouldnotcaretocriticise——mine。“
Onthelastwordshefalteredandglancedathisprofile。
Hadshegonetoofar？
“Ifeltthatyouwouldunderstand，“heanswered。Hecouldnottrusthimselftospeakfurther。Howmuchdidsheknow？Andhowmuchwasshecapableofgrasping？
Hisreticenceservedonlytofortifyhertrust——toelevateit。Itwasimpossibleforhernottofeelsomethingofthatwhichwasinhimandcryingforutterance。Shewasawoman。Andifthisoneactionhadbeenbuttheholdingofhercoat，shewouldhaveknown。Amanwhocouldkeepsilentundertheseconditionsmustindeedbearockofmightandhonour；
andshefeltsurenow，withasurgingofjoy，thatthelightshehadseenshiningfromitwasthebeaconoftruth。Aquestiontrembledonherlips——thequestionforwhichshehadlongbeengatheringstrength。
Whatevertheoutcomeofthiscommunion，shefeltthattheremustbeabsolutetruthbetweenthem。
“Iwanttoaskyousomething，Mr。Vane——Ihavebeenwantingtoforalongtime。“
Shesawthemusclesofhisjawtighten，——amannerhehadwhenearnestordetermined，——andshewonderedinagitationwhetherhedivinedwhatshewasgoingtosay。Heturnedhisfaceslowlytohers，andhiseyesweretroubled。
“Yes，“hesaid。
“Youhavealwayssparedmyfeelings，“shewenton。“Now——nowIamaskingforthetruth——asyouseeit。DotheNortheasternRailroadswrongfullygovernthisStatefortheirownends？“
Austen，too，ashethoughtoveritafterwards，inthenight，wassurprisedatherconcisephrasing，suggestive；asitwas，ofmuchreflection。Butatthemoment，althoughhehadbeenpreparedforandhadbracedhimselfagainstsomethingofthisnature，hewasneverthelessovercomebytheabsoluteandfearlessdirectnessofherspeech。
“Thatisaquestion，“heanswered，“whichyouwillhavetoaskyourfather。“
“Ihaveaskedhim，“shesaid，inalowvoice；“Iwanttoknowwhat——youbelieve。“
“Youhaveaskedhim！“herepeated，inastonishment。
“Yes。Youmustn\'tthinkthat，inaskingyou，Iamunfairtohiminanyway——orthatIdoubthissincerity。Wehavebeen“hervoicecaughtalittle“theclosestfriendseversinceIwasachild。“Shepaused。
“ButIwanttoknowwhatyoubelieve。“
Thefactthatsheemphasizedthelastpronounsentanotherthrillthroughhim。Didit，then，makeanydifferencetoherwhathebelieved？Didshemeantodifferentiatehimfromoutofthemultitude？Hehadtosteadyhimselfbeforeheanswered:——
“Ihavesometimesthoughtthatmyownviewmightnotbebroadenough。“
Sheturnedtohimagain。
“Whyareyouevading？“sheasked。“Iamsureitisnotbecauseyonhavenotsettledconvictions。AndIhaveaskedyou——afavour。“
“Youhavedonemeanhonour，“heanswered，andfacedhersuddenly。“Youmustsee，“hecried，withapowerandpassioninhisvoicethatstartledandthrilledherinturn，“youmustseethatit\'sbecauseIwishtobefairthatIhesitate。Iwouldtellyou——anything。Idonotagreewithmyownfather，——wehavebeen——apart——foryearsbecauseofthis。AndI
do——notagreewithMr。Flint。Iamsurethattheybotharewrong。ButI
cannothelpseeingtheirpointofview。Thesepracticesaretheresultofanevolution，ofanevolutionoftheirtime。Theywereforcedtocopewithconditionsinthewaytheydid，orgotothewall。Theymakethemistakeofbelievingthatthepracticesarestillnecessaryto-day。“
“Oh！“sheexclaimed，agreathoperisingwithinheratthesewords。“Oh，andyoubelievetheyarenot！“，Hisexplanationseemedsosimple，soinspiring。Andaboveandbeyondthat，hewassure。Convictionrangineveryword。Hadhenot，sheremembered，stakedhiscareerbydisagreeingwithhisfather？Yes，andhehadbeenslowtocondemn；hehadseentheirside。Itwastheywhocondemnedhim。Hemusthavejustice——heshouldhaveit！
“Ibelievesuchpracticesarenotnecessarynow，“hesaidfirmly。“Anewgenerationhascome——agenerationmorejealousofitspoliticalrights，andnotsowillingtoberidofthembyfarmingthemout。Achangehastakenplaceevenintheoldermen，likeMr。JenneyandMr。Redbrook，whosimplydidnotthinkaboutthesequestionstenyearsago。Menofthistype，whocouldbeleaders，arereadytoassumetheirresponsibilities，arereadytodealfairlywithrailroadsandcitizensalike。Thisisamatterofbelief。Ibelieveit——Mr。Flintandmyfatherdonot。Theyseethepoliticians，andIseethepeople。Ibelongtoonegeneration，andtheytoanother。Withtheconvictionstheyhave，addedtothefactthattheyareinapositionofheavyresponsibilitytowardtheownersoftheirproperty，theycannotbeblamedforhesitatingtotryanyexperiments。“
“Andthepracticesare——bad？“Victoriaasked。
“TheyareentirelysubversiveoftheprinciplesofAmericangovernment，tosaytheleast，“repliedAusten，grimly。HewasthinkingofthepasswhichMr。Flinthadsenthim，andofthekindofmenMr。Flintemployedtomakethepracticeseffective。
Theydescendedintothedarknessofadeepvalley，scoredoutbetweenthehillsbyoneoftherushingtributariesoftheBlue。Themoonfelldownbehindtheoppositeridge，andtheroadranthroughadeepforest。Henolongersawtheshadesofmeaninginherface，butintheblacknessofErebushecouldhavesensedherpresenceathisside。Speech，thoughofthisstrangekindofwhichneitherfeltthestrangeness，hadcomeandgonebetweenthem，andnowsilencespokeaseloquently。Twiceorthricetheireyesmetthroughthegloom，——andtherewaslight。Atlengthshespokewiththeimpulsivenessinhervoicethathefoundsoappealing。
“Youmustseemyfather——youmusttalktohim。Hedoesn\'tknowhowfairyouare！“
ToAustentheinferencewasobviousthatMr。Flinthadconceivedforhimaspecialanimosity，whichhemusthavementionedtoVictoria，andthisinferenceopenedthewaytoawidespeculationinwhichhewasatonceelatedanddepressed。Whyhadhebeensosingledout？AndhadVictoriadefendedhim？OncebeforeherememberedthatshehadtoldhimhemustseeMr。Flint。Theyhadgainedtheridgenow，andthemoonhadrisenagainforthem，strikingblackshadowsfromthemaplesonthegranite-
croppedpastures。AlittlefartheronwasaroadwhichmighthavebeencalledtherearentrancetoFairview。
Whatwashetosay？
“IamafraidMr。Flinthasotherthingstodothantoseeme，“heanswered。“Ifhewishedtoseeme，hewouldsayso。“
“Wouldyougotoseehim，ifheweretoaskyou？“saidVictoria。
“Yes，“hereplied，“butthatisnotlikelytohappen。Indeed，youaregivingmyopinionentirelytoomuchimportanceinyourfather\'seyes，“headded，withanattempttocarryitofflightly；“thereisnomorereasonwhyheshouldcaretodiscussthesubjectwithmethanwithanyothercitizenoftheStateofmyagewhothinksasIdo。“
“Oh，yes，thereis，“saidVictoria；“heregardsyouasapersonwhoseopinionhassomeweight。Iamsureofthat。Hethinksofyouasapersonofconvictions——andhehasheardthingsaboutyou。Youtalkedtohimonce，“shewenton，astonishedatherownboldness，“andmadehimangry。Whydon\'tyoutalktohimagain？“shecried，seeingthatAustenwassilent。“IamsurethatwhatyousaidaboutthechangeofpublicopinionintheStatewouldappealtohim。Andoh，don\'tquarrelwithhim！Youhaveafacultyofdifferingwithpeoplewithoutquarrellingwiththem。Myfatherhassomanycares，andhetriessohardtodorightasheseesit。Youmustrememberthathewasapoorfarmer\'sson，andthathebegantoworkatfourteeninBrampton，runningerrandsforacountryprinter。Heneverhadanyadvantagesexceptthosehemadeforhimself，andhehadtofighthiswayinahardschoolagainstmenwhowerenotalwayshonourable。Itisnowonderthathesometimestakes——amaterialviewofthings。Butheisreasonableandwillingtolistentowhatothermenhavetosay，ifheisnotantagonized。“
“Iunderstand，“saidAusten，whothoughtMr。Flintblestinhisadvocate。
Indeed，Victoria\'ssimplereferencetoherfather\'soriginhadtouchedhimdeeply。“Iunderstand，butIcannotgotohim。ThereiseveryreasonwhyIcannot，“headded，andsheknewthathewasspeakingwithdifficulty，asundergreatemotion。
“Butifheshouldsendforyou？“sheasked。Shefelthislookfixeduponherwithastrangeintensity，andherheartleapedasshedroppedhereyes。
“IfMr。Flintshouldsendforme，“heansweredslowly，Iwouldcome——andgladly。Butitmustbeofhisownfreewill。“
Victoriarepeatedthewordsovertoherself，“Itmustbeofhisownfreewill，“waitinguntilsheshouldbealonetoseektheirfullinterpretation。Sheturned，andlookedacrossthelawnatFairviewHouseshininginthelight。Inanotherminutetheyhaddrawnupbeforetheopendoor。
“Won\'tyoucomein——andwaitforMr。Jenney？“sheasked。
Hegazeddownintoherface，searchingly，andtookherhand。
“Goodnight，“hesaid；“Mr。Jenneyisnotfarbehind。Ithink——IthinkI
shouldlikethewalk。“
CHAPTERXX
MR。CREWE:ANAPPRECIATION1
Itisgiventosomeraremortals——withwhomfameprecedesgreyhairsorbaldnesstoread，whilestillontherisingtideoftheirefforts，thatportionoftheirliveswhichhasalreadybeeninscribedonthescrollofhistory——orsomethinglikeit。Mr。Creweinkiltsatfive；andpropheticpicture！withatrainofcarswhich——sothefamilytraditionruns——wasafterwardsdemolished；Mr。Creweatfourteen，indelicatehealth；thispicturewastakenabroad，withalong-sufferingtutorwhocouldspeakfeelingly，ifhewould，ofembryogeniuses。EvenatthisearlyperiodHumphreyCrewe\'sthirstforknowledgewasinsatiable:hecaredlittle，thebiographytellsus，forgalleriesandchurchesandruins，buthiscommentsuponforeignmethodsofdoingbusinesswereastonishinglyprecocious。Herecommendedtoamazedclerksinprovincialbankstheuseofcheques，ridiculedtospeechlessstation-masterstheside-entrancerailwaycarriagewithitswantofroom，andthesizeofthegoodstrucks。Heissaidtohavebeenthefirsttosuggestthatsoda-
waterfountainsmightberunatalargeprofitinLondon。
Incollege，inadditiontokeepinguphisclassicalcourses，hefoundtimetomakeanexhaustivestudyoftherailroadsoftheUnitedStates，embodyingtheseideasinapamphletpublishedshortlyaftergraduation。
Thispamphletisnow，unfortunately，veryrare，buttheanonymousbiographermanagedtogetoneandquotefromit。IfMr。Crewe\'ssuggestionshadbeencarriedout，seventy-fivepercentoftherailroadaccidentsmighthavebeeneliminated。Thoroughwashiswatchwordeventhen。Andevenatthatperiodheforesaw，withtheprophecyofgenius，thedaysofsingle-trackcongestion。
HiseffortstoimproveLeithandtheStateingeneral，toamelioratetheconditionofhisneighbours，werefittinglyanddelicatelydweltupon。A
desiretotakeuponhimselftheburdenofcitizenshipled——asweknow——tofurtherself-denial。HefeltcalledupontogototheLegislature——andthisiswhathesaw:——
Mr。Creweisquotedhereatlengthinanadmirable，concise，andhair-
raisingstatementgiveninaninterviewtohisbiographer。Butwehavebeenwithhim，andknowwhathesaw。Itis，forlackofspace，reluctantlyomitted。
Andnowwearetotakeupwherethebiographyleftoff；torelate，inachapterifpossible，oneofthemostremarkablecampaignsinthehistoryofthiscountry。Acertainreformerofwhoseacquaintancethehonestchroniclerboastsareformerwhogotelected！found，onhisfirstvisittotheheadquartershehadhired——twocitizensundertheinfluenceofliquorandalittlegirlwithaskiprope。Sucharethebeginningsthattrymen\'ssouls。
ThewindowofeveryindependentshopkeeperinRiptoncontainedalarge-
sizedpictureoftheLeithstatesman，hisdeterminedchinslightlythrustdownintotheGladstonecollar。Underneathwerethewords，“Iwillputanendtograftandrailroadrule。IamaCandidateofthePeople。
OpeningrallyofthePeople\'sCampaignattheOperaHouse，at8P。M。，July10th。TheHon。HumphreyCrewe，ofLeith，willtellthecitizensofRiptonhowtheirStateisgoverned。“
“Father，“saidVictoria，asshereadthisannouncementthreecolumnswide，intheRiptonRecordastheysatatbreakfasttogether，“doyoumindmygoing？IcangetHastingsWearetotakeme。“
“Notatall，“saidMr。Flint，whohadreturnedfromNewYorkinabetterframeofmind。“Ishouldlikeatrustworthyaccountofthatmeeting。
Only，“headded，“Ishouldadviseyoutogoearly，Victoria，inordertogetaseat。“
“Youdon\'tobjecttomylisteningtocriticismofyou？“
“NotbyHumphreyCrewe，“laughedMr。Flint。
EarlysuppersinsteadofdinnersweretheruleatLeithontheeveningofthehistoricday，andthecandidatehimself，inhisredLeviathan，wasnotinconsiderablyannoyed，onthewaytoRipton，byinnumerablecarryallsandtrapsfilledwithbrightlygownedrecruitsofthatorganizationofMrs。Pomfret\'swhichBeatriceChillinghamhadnicknamed“TheLadies\'Auxiliary。“。InvainMr。Crewetootedhishorn:thesoundofitwasdrownedbythegaytalkandlaughterinthecarryalls，andshrieksensuedwhentheLeviathancutbywithonlysixinchestospare，andthecandidateturnedandaddressedthedriversinlanguagemoreforcefulthanpolite，andtoldtheladiestheyactedasiftheyweregoingtoaPunch-and-Judyshow。
“PoordearHumphrey！“said，Mrs。Pomfret，“issomuchinearnest。I
wouldn\'tgiveasnapforamanwithoutatemper。“
“PoordearHumphrey“saidBeatriceChillingham，inanundertonetoherneighbour，“isexceedinglyrudeandungrateful。That\'swhatIthink。“
Theoccupantsofonevehicleheardthehorn，andsoughtthetopofagrassymoundtolettheLeviathangoby。AndtheLeviathan，withcharacteristiccontrariness，stopped。
“Hello，“saidMr。Crewe，withapullathiscap。“Iintendedtobeonthelookoutforyou。“
“Thatisverythoughtful，Humphrey，consideringhowmanythingsyouhavetobeonthelookoutforthisevening，“Victoriareplied。
“That\'sallright，“wasMr。Crewe\'sgraciousreply。“Iknewyou\'dbesufficientlybroad-mindedtocome，andIhopeyouwon\'ttakeoffenceatcertainremarksIthinkitmydutytomake。“
“Don\'tletmypresenceaffectyou，“sheanswered，smiling；“Ihavecomepreparedforanything。“
“I\'lltellTootingtogiveyouagoodseat，“hecalledback，ashestartedonward。
HastingsWearelookedup，ather，withlaughter-brimmingeyes。
“Victoria，you\'reawonder！“heremarked。“Say，doyourememberthattallfellowwemetatHumphrey\'sparty，AustenVane？“
Yes。“
“IsawhimonthestreetinRiptontheotherday，andhecamerightupandspoketome。Hehadn\'tforgottenmyname。Now，he\'dbemynotionofacandidate。Hemakesyoufeelasifyourpresenceintheworldmeantsomethingtohim。“
“Ithinkhedoesfeelthatway，“repliedVictoria。
“Idon\'tblamehimifhefeelsthatwayaboutyou，“saidHastings，whomadeloveopenly。
“Hastings，“sheanswered，“whenyougetalittleolder，youwilllearntoconfineyourselftoyourownopinions。“
“WhenIdo，“heretortedaudaciously，“theynevermakeyoublushlikethat。“
“It\'sprobablybecauseyouhaveneverlearnedtobeoriginal，“shereplied。ButHastingshadbeensettothinking。
Mrs。Pomfret，withherforesightandhertalentformanagement，hadgiventheLadies\'Auxiliarynoticethattheywerenottogofartherforwardthanthetwelfthrow。Sheherself，withsomeespeciallyfavouredones，occupiedabox，whichwasthenearestthingtobeingonthestage。OneunforeseenresultofMrs。Pomfret\'sarrangementwasthatthefirstelevenrowswerevacant，withtheexceptionofoneoldmanandfiveorsixschoolboys。Suchisthecourageofhumanityingeneral！Onthearrivalofthecandidate，insteadofasurgingcrowdliningthesidewalk，hefoundonlyafringeofthecurious，whoseusualpostofobservationwastherailroadstation，standingsilentlyonthecurb。Within，Mr。
Tooting\'sdutiesasanusherhadnotbeenonerous。HemetMr。Creweinthevestibule，anddrewhimintotheprivateoffice。
“Therailroad\'sfixed\'em，“saidthemanager，indignantly，butsottovoce；“I\'vefoundthatout。HilaryVanehadthewordpassedaroundtownthatiftheycame，somethin\'wouldfallon\'em。TheTredwaysandallthepeoplewhoownfactoriesservednoticeontheirmenthatiftheypaidanyattentiontothismeetingthey\'dlosetheirjob。Butsay，thepeoplearewatchin\'you，justthesame。“
“Howmanypeopleareinthere？“Mr。Crewedemanded。
“Twenty-seven，whenIcameout，“saidMr。Tooting，withcommendableaccuracy。“Butitwantsfifteenminutestoeight。“
“Andwho，“askedMr。Crewe，“istointroduceme？“
AnexpressionofindignationspreadoverMr。Tooting\'sface。
“Thereain\'tamaninRipton\'sgotsandenough！“heexclaimed。“SolGridleywasa-goin\'to，buthewenttoNewYorkonthenoontrain。
Iguessit\'sapleasuretrip，“Mr。Tootinghinteddarkly。
“Why，“saidMr。Crewe，“he\'sthefellow——“
“Exactly，“Mr。Tootingreplied，“andhedidgetalotof\'em，travellingabout。ButSolhasgottoworkonthequiet，youunderstand。Hefeelshecan\'tcomeoutrightaway。“
“AndhowaboutAmosRicketts？Where\'she？“
“Amos，“saidMr。Tooting，regretfully，“wastakenverysuddenaboutfiveo\'clock。Oneofhisspellscomeon，andhesentmewordtotheRiptonHouse。Hehadhisspeechallmadeup，anditwasagoodone，too。Hewasgoingtotellfolksprettystraighthowtherailroadbeathimformayor。“
Mr。Crewemadeagestureofdisgust。
“I\'llintroducemyself，“hesaid。“Theyallknowme，anyhow。“
“Say，“saidMr。Tooting，layingahandonhiscandidate\'sarm。“Youcouldn\'tdoanybetter。I\'vebinforthatallalong。“
“Holdon，“saidMr。Crewe，listening，“alotofpeoplearecominginnow。“
WhatMr。Crewehadheard，however，wasthearrivaloftheLadies\'
Auxiliary，——fiveandthirtystrong，fromLeith。Butstay！Whoarethesecoming？Moreladies——ladiesingroupsoftwoandthreeandfive！ladiesofRiptonwhosehusbands，forsomeunexplainedreason，havestayedathome；andMr。Tooting，ashewatchedthemwithmingledfeelings，becameawoman\'ssuffragistonthespot。Hedivedintotheprivateofficeoncemore，wherehefoundMr。Creweseatedwithhislegscrossed，calmlyreadingalastwinter\'splaybill。Noteforamorecompletebiography。
“Well，Tooting，“hesaid，“Ithoughtthey\'dbegintocome。“
“They\'remostlywomen，“Mr。Tootinginformedhim。
“Women！“
“Holdon！“saidMr。Tooting，whohadthetrueshowman\'sinstinct。“Can\'tyouseethatfolksarecurious？They\'reafraidtocome\'emselves，andthey\'resendin\'theirwivesanddaughters。Ifyougetthewomentonight，they\'llgohomeandclubthemenintoline。“
Eightstrokesboomedoutfromthetoweroftheneighbouringtownhall，andanexpectantflutterspreadovertheaudience，——aflatterwhichdisseminatedfaintodoursofsachetandothermysterioussubstancesinwhichfeminineapparelissaidtothelaidaway。Thestagewasempty，saveforatablewhichheldapitcherofwaterandaglass。
“It\'saprettygoodimitationofamatinee，“HastingsWeareremarked。
“Iwonderwhomthefrontseatsarereservedfor。Say，Victoria，there\'syourfriendMr。Vaneinthecorner。He\'slookingoverhere。“
“Hehasaperfectrighttolookwherehechooses，“saidVictoria。Shewonderedwhetherhewouldcomeoverandsitnexttoherifsheturnedaround，anddecidedinstantlythathewouldn\'t。Presently，whenshethoughtHastingswasoffhisguard，shedidturn，tomeet，assheexpected，Austen\'sglancefixeduponher。Theirgreetingwasthesignaloftwopeoplewithamutualunderstanding。Hedidnotrise，andalthoughsheacknowledgedtoherselfafeelingofdisappointment，shegavehimcreditforanicecomprehensionofthesituation。BesidehimwashisfriendTomGaylord，whopresentedtoheraverypuzzledface。Andthen，iftherehadbeenaband，itwouldhavebeentimetoplay“See，theConqueringHeroComes！“
Whywasn\'tthereaband？Nosuchmistake，Mr。Tootingvowed，shouldbemadeatthenextrally。
ItwasMrs。Pomfretwholedtheapplausefromherboxasthecandidatewalkedmodestlyupthesideaisleandpresentlyappeared，alone，onthestage。Theflutterofexcitementwasrenewed，andthistimeitmightalmostbecalledaflutterofapprehension。ButwewhohaveheardMr。
Crewespeakareinnoalarmforourcandidate。Hetakesaglassoficedwater；hearranges，withtheutmostsangfroid，hisnotesonthedeskandadjuststhereadinglight。Thenhestepsforwardandsurveysthescatteredgroups。
“Ladies——“atitterranthroughtheaudience，——atitterwhichstartedsomewhereinthenearneighbourhoodofMr。HastingsWeare——androseinstantlytoseveralhystericalpealsoffemininelaughter。Mrs。
Pomfret，outraged，sweepsthefrivolousoffenderswithherlorgnette；Mr。
Crewe，withhisarmresting，onthereading-desk，merelyraisesthepalmofhishandtoaperpendicularreproof，——andgentlemen。“Atthispointtheaudienceisthoroughlycowed。Ladiesandgentlemenandfellowcitizens。Ithankyouforthehonouryouhavedonemeincomingheretolistentotheopeningspeechofmycampaignto-night。Itisacampaignfordecencyandgoodgovernment，andIknowthatthecommonpeopleoftheState——ofwhomIhavethehonourtobeone——demandthesethings。I
cannotsayasmuchfortheso-calledprominentcitizens，“saidMr。Crewe，glancingabouthim；“notoneofyourprominentcitizensinRiptonwouldventuretooffendthepowersthatbebyconsentingtointroducemeto-
night，ordaredcomeintothistheatreandtakeseatswithinthirtyfeetofthisplatform。“HereMr。Crewelethiseyesrestsignificantlyontheelevenemptyrows，whilehishearerssquirmedinterrifiedsilenceatthisaudacity。EventheRiptonwomenknewthatthiswashightreasonbeneaththewallsofthecitadel，andmanyofthemglancedfurtivelyatthestrangelycomposeddaughterofAugustusP。Flint。
“IwillshowyouthatIcanstandonmyownfeet，“Mr。Crewecontinued。
willintroducemyself。IamHumphreyCreweofLeith，andIclaimtohaveaddedsomethingtothewelfareandprosperityofthisState，andIintendtoaddmorebeforeIhavefinished。“
Atthispoint，asmighthavebeenexpected，spontaneousapplausebrokeforth，originatingintheright-handstagebox。Herewasadaringdefianceindeed，acourageofsuchahighorderthatitcompletelycarriedawaytheladiesanddrewreluctantplauditsfromthemaleelement。“Giveitto\'em，Humphrey！“saidoneofthosewhohappenedtobesittingnexttoMissFlint，andwhoreceivedaveryseverepinchinthearminconsequence。
“Ithankthegentleman，“answeredMr。Crewe，“andIproposeto-
Handclappingandsachet。Iproposetoshowthatyouspendsomethingliketwohundredthousanddollarsayeartoelectlegislatorsandsend\'emtothecapital，whentherealgovernmentofyourStateisinaroominthePelicanHotelknownastheRailroadRoom，andtherealgovernorisacitizenofyourtown，theHonourableHilaryVane，whositsthereandactsforhismaster，Mr。AugustusP。FlintofNewYork。AndIproposetoprovetoyouthat，beforetheHonourableAdamB。Huntappearedasthatwhichhascometobeknownasthe\'regular\'candidate，Mr。FlintsentforhimtogotoNewYorkandexactedcertainpromisesfromhim。Notthatitwasnecessary，buttheNortheasternRailroadsnevertakeanychances。
Laughter。TheHonourableAdamB。Huntiswhattheycalla\'safe\'man，meaningbythatamanwhowilldowhatMr。Flintwantshimtodo。WhileIamnot\'safe\'becauseIhavedaredtodefytheminyourname，andwilldowhatthepeoplewantmetodo。Clappingandcheersfromagentlemaninthedarkness，afterwardsidentifiedasMr。Tooting。Now，myfriends，areyougoingtocontinuetoallowacitizenofNewYorktonominateyourgovernors，anddoyouintend，tamely，togivetheHonourableAdamB。Huntyourvotes？“
“Theyain\'tgotanyvotes，“saidavoice——notthatofMr。HastingsWeare，foritcamefromthedepthsofthegallery。
“\'Thehandthatrocksthecradleswaystheworld，\'“answeredMr。Crewe，andtherewasnodoubtaboutthesincerityoftheapplausethistime。
“ThecampaignoftheHonourableHumphreyCreweofLeith，“saidtheStateTribunenextday，“wasinauguratedattheOperaHouseinRiptonlastnightbeforeanenthusiasticaudienceconsistingofMr。AustenVane，Mr。
ThomasGaylord，Jr。，Mr。HamiltonTooting，tworeporters，andseventy-
fourladies，whocheeredthespeakertotheecho。AbouthalfoftheseladiesweresummerresidentsofLeithinchargeofthewell-knownsocialleader，Mrs。PattersonPomfret，——anorganizedleaguewhich，itisunderstood，willfollowthecandidateabouttheStateintheEnglishfashion，kissingthebabiesandteachingthemothershygieniccookingandhowtoondulethehair。“
Afterspeakingforanhourandahalf，theHonourableHumphreyCrewedeclaredthathewouldbegladtomeetanyoftheaudiencewhowishedtoshakehishand，anditwasMrs。Pomfretwhoreachedhimfirst。
“Don\'tbediscouraged，Humphrey，——youaremagnificent，“shewhispered。
“Discouraged！“echoedMr。Crewe。“Youcan\'tkillanidea，andwe\'llseewho\'srightandwho\'swrongbeforeIgetthroughwith\'em。“
“Whatanoblespirit！“Mrs。PomfretexclaimedasidetoMrs。Chillingham。
Thensheadded，inaloudertone，“Ladies，ifyouwillkindlytellmeyournames，Ishallbehappytointroduceyoutothecandidate。Well，Victoria，Ididn\'texpecttoseeyouhere。“
“Whynot？“saidVictoria。“Humphrey，acceptmycongratulations。“
“Didyoulikeit？“askedMr。Crewe。“Ithoughtitwasaprettygoodspeechmyself。There\'snothingliketellingthetruth，youknow。And，bytheway，Ihopetoseeyouinadayortwo，beforeIstartforKingston。TelephonemewhenyoucomedowntoLeith。“
ThecongratulationsbestowedonthecandidatebythedaughterofthepresidentoftheNortheasternRailroadsquitetookthebreathoutofthespectatorswhowitnessedtheincident，andgaverisetothewildestconjectures。AndtheadmirationofMr。HastingsWearewasunbounded。
“You\'vegotthemostmagnificentnerveIeversaw，Victoria，“heexclaimed，astheymadetheirwaytowardsthedoor。
“YouforgetHumphrey，“shereplied。
Hastingslookedatherandchuckled。Infact，hechuckledallthewayhome。InthevestibuletheymetMr。AustenVaneandMr。ThomasGaylord，thelattercomingforwardwithacertainpalpableembarrassment。AllthroughtheeveningTomhadbeentryingtoaccountforherpresenceatthemeeting，untilAustenhadbeggedhimtokeephisspeculationstohimself。“Shecan\'tbeengagedtohim！“Mr。Gaylordhadexclaimedmorethanonce，underhisbreath。“Whynot？“Austenhadanswered；“there\'sagooddealabouthimtoadmire。““Becauseshe\'sgotmoresense，“saidTomdoggedly。Hencehewasatalossforwordswhenshegreetedhim。
“Well，Mr。Gaylord，“shesaid，“youseenoboneswerebroken，afterall。
ButIappreciatedyourprecautioninsendingthebuggybehindme，althoughitwasn\'tnecessary。
“Ifeltsomewhatresponsible，“repliedTom，andwordsfailedhim。
“Here\'sAustenVane，“headded，indicatingbyanodoftheheadtheobviouspresenceofthatgentleman。“You\'llexcuseme。There\'samanhereIwanttosee。“
“What\'sthematterwithMr。Gaylord？“Victoriaasked。“Heseemsso——
queer。“
Theywerestandingapart，alone，HastingsWearehavinggonetothestablesfortherunabout。
“Mr。Gaylordimagineshedoesn\'tgetalongwiththeoppositesex，“Austenreplied，withjustashadeofconstraint。
“Nonsense！“exclaimedVictoria；“wegotalongperfectlytheotherdaywhenherescuedmefromthebushes。What\'sthematterwithhim？“
Austenlaughed，andtheireyesmet。
“Ithinkheisrathersurprisedtoseeyouhere，“hesaid。
“Andyou？“returnedVictoria。“Aren\'tyouequallyoutofplace？“
HedidnotcaretogointoanexplanationofTom\'ssuspicioninregardtoMr。Crewe。
“Mycuriositywastoomuchforme，“hereplied，smiling。
“Sowasmine，“shereplied，andsuddenlydemanded:“WhatdidyouthinkofHumphrey\'sspeech？“
Theireyesmet。Anddespitetheattemptedseriousnessofhertonetheyjoinedinanirresistibleandspontaneouslaughter。Theywereagainonthatplaneofmutualunderstandingandintimacyforwhichneithercouldaccount。
“IhavenocriticismtomakeofMr。Creweasanorator，atleast，“hesaid。
Thenshegrewseriousagain，andregardedhimsteadfastly。
“And——whathesaid？“sheasked。
Austenwonderedagainatthecourageshehaddisplayed。Allhehadbeenabletothinkofinthetheatre，whilelisteningtoMr。Crewe\'swordsofdenunciationoftheNortheasternRailroads，hadbeenoftheeffecttheymighthaveonVictoria\'sfeelings，andfromtimetotimehehadglancedanxiouslyatherprofile。Andnow，lookingintoherface，questioning，trustful——hecouldnotevenattempttoevade。Hewassilent。
“Ishouldn\'thaveaskedyouthat，“shesaid。“OnereasonIcamewasbecause——becauseIwantedtoheartheworst。Youweretooconsideratetotellme——all。“
Helookedmutelyintohereyes，andagreatdesirearoseinhimtobeabletocarryherawayfromitall。Manytimeswithinthepastyear，whenthetroublesandcomplicationsofhislifehadweigheduponhim，histhoughtshadturnedto，thatWesterncountry，limitedonlybythebrighthorizonswherethesunroseandset。Ifhecouldonlytakeherthere，orintohisownhills，wherenomanmightfollowthem！Itwasaprimevallonging，and，beingawomanandtheobjectofit，shesawitsessentialmeaninginhisface。ForabriefmomenttheystoodascompletelyaloneasonthecrestofSawanec。
“Goodnight，“shesaid，inalowvoice。
Hedidnottrusthimselftospeakatonce，butwentdownthestepswithhertothecurb，whereHastingsWearewaswaitingintherunabout。
“IwasjusttellingMissFlint，“saidthatyounggentleman，“thatyouwouldhavebeenmycandidate。“
Austen\'sfacerelaxed。
“Thankyou，Mr。Weare，“hesaidsimply；andtoVictoria，“Goodnight。“
Atthecorner，whensheturned，shesawhimstillstandingontheedgeofthesidewalk，histallfigurethrownintoboldreliefbythelightwhichfloodedfromtheentrance。TheaccountoftheRiptonmeeting，substantiallyasitappearedintheStateTribune，wasbyasingularcoincidencecopiedatonceintosixty-oddweeklynewspapers，andmusthavecausedendlessmerrimentthroughouttheState。CongressmanFairplay\'sprophecyof“negligible“wasanexaggeration，andonegentlemanwhohadrashlypredictedthatMr。Crewewouldgettwentydelegatesoutofathousandhidhimselfforshame。Onthewhole，the“monumentalfarce“forecastseemedbesttofitthesituation。A
conferencewasheldatLeithbetweenthecandidate，Mr。Tooting，andtheHonourableTimothyWatlingofNewcastle，whowaspreparingthenominatingspeech，althoughtheconventionwasmorethantwomonthsdistant。Mr。
Watlingwasskilledinroundedperiodsoforatoryandinotherthingspolitical；andbothheandMr。TootingreiteratedtheiropinionthattherewasnoparticleofdoubtaboutMr。Crewe\'snomination。
“Butwe\'llhavetofightfirewithfire，“Mr。Tootingdeclared。Itwasprobablyanaccidentthathehappenedtokick，atthisinstant，Mr。
Watlingundercoverofthetable。Mr。Watlingwasanoldandvaluedfriend。
“Gentlemen，“saidMr。Crewe，“Ihaven\'ttheslightestdoubtofmynomination，either。Idonothesitatetosay，however，thattheexpensesofthiscampaign，atthisearlystage，seemtomeoutofallproportion。
Letmeseewhatyouhavethere。“
TheHonourableTimothyWadinghadproducedatypewrittenlistcontainingsomeeightytownsandwards，eachfollowedbyanameandthenumberofthedelegatestherefrom——andfigures。
“They\'dallbeenthusiasticCrewemen——iftheycouldbeseenbytherightparty，“declaredMr。Tooting。
Mr。Creweranhiseyeoverthelist。
“Whomwouldyousuggesttosee\'em？“heaskedcoldly。
“There\'sonlyonepartyIknowofthathasmuchinfluenceover\'em，“Mr。
Tootingreplied，withagenialbutdeferentialindicationofhisfriend。
AtthispointMr。Crewe\'ssecretarylefttheroomonanerrand，andthethreestatesmenwentintoexecutivesession。Inpolitics，asincharity，itisagoodrulenottoletone\'srighthandknowwhatthelefthanddoeth。Halfanhourlaterthethreeemergedintothesunlight，Mr。
TootingandMr。Watlingsmokinglargecigars。
“You\'vegotagreatlay-outhere，Mr。Crewe，“Mr。Watlingremarked。“Itmusthavestoodyouinalittlemoney，eh？Yes，I\'llgetmileagebooks，andyou\'llhearfrommeeverydayortwo。“
Andnowwearecometotheinfinitelydifficulttaskofrelatinginawhirlwindmannerthestoryofawhirlwindcampaign——acampaignthatwastomaketheoldestresidentsitupandtakenotice。Inthespaceoffourshortweeksamiraclehadbeguntoshowitself。First，therewastheKingstonmeeting，withthecandidate，histhumbinhiswatch-pocket，seatedinanopencarriagebesideMr。HamiltonTooting，——acarriagedrapedwithasheetonwhichwaspainted“DownwithRailroadRingRule。“
ThecarriagewasprecededbytheKingstonBrassBand，producingthrobbingmartialmelodies，andfollowedwearenotgoingtobelievetheStateTribuneanylongerbyajostling\'andcheeringcrowd。ThebandhaltsbeforetheG。A。R。Hall；thecandidatealights，withabowofacknowledgment，andgoestotheprivateofficeuntilthemusiciansareseatedinfrontoftheplatform，whenheenterstorenewedcheeringandthetuneof“See，theConqueringHeroComes！“
Anhonesthistorianmustadmitthatthereweretwoaccountsofthismeeting。BothagreethatMr。Creweintroducedhimself，andpouredawitheringsarcasmontheheadsofKingston\'sprominentcitizens。Oneaccount，whichtheill-natureddeclaredtobeinMr。Tooting\'sstyle，andwhichappearedinslightlylargertypethanthatoftheothercolumns
intheKingstonandlocalpapers，statedthatthehallwascrowdedtosuffocation，andthatthecandidatewas“accordedanovationwhichlastedforfullyfiveminutes。“
Mr。Crewe\'sspeechwasprinted——inthisslightlylargertype。WoetotheHonourableAdamB。Hunt，whohadgonetoNewYorktoseewhetherhecouldbegovernor！Whydidn\'thecomeoutontheplatform？Becausehecouldn\'t。“Safe“candidatescouldn\'ttalk。HissubservientandfawningreportsonaccidentswhilechairmanoftheRailroadCommissionwereruthlesslyquotedamidcheersandlaughter。WhatkindofrailroadservicewasKingstongettingcomparedtowhatitshouldhave？Compared，indeed，towhatithadtwentyyearsago？Aninformalreceptionwasheldafterwards。
Moremeetingsfollowed，attherateoffouraweek，incountyaftercounty。AttheendoffifteendaysaselectmanwhosenamewillgodowninhistoryvoluntarilymountedtheplatformandintroducedtheHonourableHumphreyCrewetotheaudience；not，tobesure，asthesaviouroftheState；andfromthatdayonwardMr。Crewedidnotlackforasponsor。Ontheotherhand，thesponsorsbecamemorepronounced，andatHarwichafree-thinkingdistrictawholeboardofselectmenandfiveprominentcitizenssatgravelybesidethecandidateinthetownhall。
1PaulPardriff，Ripton。Sentpostfree，onapplication，tovotersandothers。
EndofMr。Crewe\'sCareer，V2
byWinstonChurchillMR。CREWE\'SCAREER
byWinstonChurchillBOOK3。
CHAPTERXXI
ST。GILESOFTHEBLAMELESSLIFE
Theburdenofthevalleyofvision:woetotheHonourableAdamB。Hunt！
Whereisheallthistime？OntheporchofhishomeinEdmundton，smokingcigars，littleheedingtherisingofthewaters；receivingvisitsfromtheHonourablesBrushBascom，NatBillings，andJacobBotcher，andsigningchequestotheorderofthesegentlemenfornecessaryexpenses。
BeitknownthattheHonourableAdamwasamanofsubstanceinthisworld\'sgoods。ToquotefromMr。Crewe\'sspeechatHull:“TheNortheasternRailroadsconfer——theydonotpay，exceptinpasses。Oflateyearstheirbooksmaybesearchedinvainforevidenceoftheuseofpoliticalfunds。Themanuponwhomtheychoosetoconferyourgovernorshipisalwaysabletopaythepipers。“Purposelyputintheplural。
HavethepiperswarnedtheHonourableAdamoftherisingtideagainsthim？Havetheyaskedhimtogirduphisloinsandhirehallsandsmitetheupstarthipandthigh？Theyhavewarnedhim，yes，thattheexpensesmaybealittlegreaterthanordinary。Butitisnotforhimtotalk，ortobestirhimselfinanyunseemlymanner，fortheprizewhichhewastohavewasinthenatureofagift。InvaindidMr。Crewecryouttohimfourtimesaweekforhispoliticalbeliefs，forastatementofwhathewoulddoifhewereelectedgovernor。TheHonourableAdam\'sdignifiedanswerwasthathehadalwaysbeenagoodRepublican，andwoulddieone。
Followingatime-honouredcustom，herefusedtosayanything，butitwasrumouredthathebelievedinthegoldstandard。
ItisAugust，andthereisrejoicingin——Leith。Thereisnodoubtnowthatthecampaignofthepeopleprogresses；noneedanymoreforthetrueaccountsofthemeetings，inlargeprint，althoughthesearestillcontinued。Thereformralliesresemblematineesnolonger，andtworealreportersaccompanyMr。Creweonhistours。Nay，thecampaignofeducationhasalreadybornefruit，whichthecandidatedidnothesitatetomentioninhistalksEdmundtonhasmoretrains，Kingstonhasmoretrains，andmorecars。Noneednowtostandupfortwentymilesonahotday；andmorecarsarebuilding，andmoreengines；likewisesomerateshavebeenlowered。AndeditorswhodeclarethattheNortheasterngivestheStateaprettygoodgovernmenthave，liketheguineapigs，longbeensuppressed。
InthesedaysweremanycouncilsatFairviewandintheofficesoftheHonourableHilaryVaneatRipton；councilsbehindcloseddoors，fromwhichthecouncillorsemergedwithsmilingfacesthatmenmightnotknowthemisgivingsintheirhearts；councils，nevertheless，outofwhichleakedrumoursofdissensionandrecriminationconditionshithertounheardof。Onepostrantomeetanother，andonemessengerrantomeetanother；anditwasevenreported——thoughondoubtfulauthority——aftertherallyinhistowntheHonourableJacobBotcherhadmadetheremarkthat，undercertainconditions，hemightbecomeareformer。
Noneoftheseupsettingrumours，however，wereallowedbyMr。BascomandothergentlemenclosetotheHonourableAdamB。Hunttoreachthatcandidate，whocontinuedtosmokeintranquillityontheporchofhishomeuntilthefifteenthdayofAugust。Ateighto\'clockthatmorningthepostmanbroughthimalettermarkedpersonal，thehandwritingonwhichherecognizedasbelongingtotheHonourableHilaryVane。Forsomereason，asheread，thesensationsoftheHonourableAdamweredisquieting；thecontentsoftheletter，tosaytheleast，werepeculiar。
“To-morrow，atnoonprecisely，IshallbedrivingalongtheBroadBrookroadbytheabandonedmill——threemilestowardsEdmundtonfromHull。I
hopeyouwillfinditconvenienttobethere。“\'
ThesewerethestrangewordstheHonourableHilaryhadwritten，andtheHonourableAdamknewthatitwasanorder。AtthatveryinstantMr。HunthadbeenreadingintheGuardiantheaccountofanoverflowmeetinginNewcastle，byhisopponent，inwhichMr。Crewehadmadesomeparticularlychoiceremarksabouthim；andhadbeencheeredtotheecho。TheHonourableAdamputthepaperdown，andwalkedupthestreettotalktoMr。Burrows，thepostmasterwhom，withtheaidofCongressmanFairplay，hehad-hadappointedatEdmundton。Thetworackedtheirbrainsforthreehours；andPostmasterBurrows，whowasthefortunatepossessorofapass，offeredtogodowntoRiptonintheinterestofhisliegelordandseewhatwasup。TheHonourableAdam，however，decidedthathecouldwaitfortwenty-fourhours。
Themorningofthesixteenthdawnedclear，asbeautifulasummer\'sdayforadriveasanymancouldwish。ButthespiritoftheHonourableAdamdidnotrespondtotheweather，andhehadcertainvagueforebodingsashishorsejoggedtowardHull，althoughthesedidnottakesuchadefiniteshapeastomakehimfeelapremonitorypullofhiscoat-tails。Theruinedmillbesidetherushingstreamwasapicturesquespot，andthefigureoftheHonourableHilaryVane，seatedontheoldmillstone，inthegreenandgoldshadowsofabeech，gaveaninterestingtouchoflifetothelandscape。TheHonourableAdamdrewupandeyedhisfriendandassociateofmanyyearsbeforeaddressinghim。
“Howareyou，Hilary？“
“Hitchyourhorse，“saidMr。Vane。
TheHonourableAdamwassometimeinpickingoutaconvenienttree。Thenhelightedacigar，andapproachedMr。Vane，andatlengthlethimselfdown，cautiously，onthemillstone。SittingonhisporchhadnotimprovedMr。Hunt\'sfigure。
“Thisiskindofmysterious，ain\'tit，Hilary？“heremarked，withatugathisgoatee。
“Idon\'tknowbutwhatitis，“admittedMr。Vane，whodidnotlookasthoughthecomingepisodeweretogivehimunqualifiedjoy。
“Fineweather，“remarkedtheHonourableAdam，withabraveattemptatgeniality。
“Thepaperpredictsrainto-morrow，“saidtheHonourableHilary。
“Youdon\'tsmoke，doyou？“askedtheHonourableAdam。
“No，“saidtheHonourableHilary。
Asilence，exceptforthemusicofthebrookoverthebrokendam。
“Prettyplace，“saidtheHonourableAdam；“Ikissedmywifehereonce——
beforeIwasmarried。“
Thisremark，althoughofinterest，theHonourableHilaryevidentlythoughtdidnotrequireananswer:
“Adam，“saidMr。Vane，presently，“howmuchmoneyhaveyouspentsofar？“
“Well，“saidMr。Hunt，“ithasbeensortofcostly，butBrushandtheboystellmethetimesareuncommon，andIguesstheyare。IfthatcrazycussCrewehadn\'tbrokenloose，itwouldhavebeendifferent。NotthatI\'muneasyabouthim，butallthistalkofhisandnewspaperadvertisinghadtobecounteractedsome。Why，hehasacoupleofcolumnsaweekrighthereintheEdmundtonCourier。Thepapersarebleedin\'himtodeath，certain。“
“Howmuchhaveyouspent？“askedtheHonourableHilary。
TheHonourableAdamscreweduphisfaceandpulledhisgoateethoughtfully。
“Whatareyoutryingtogetat，Hilary，“heinquired，sendingformetomeetyououthereinthewoodsinthiscuriousway？Ifyouwantedtoseeme，whydidn\'tyougetmetogodowntoRipton，orcomeupandsitonmyporch？You\'vebeentherebefore。“
“Times，“saidtheHonourableHilary，repeating，perhapsunconsciously，Mr。Hunt\'swords，“areuncommon。ThismanCrewe\'smakingmoreheadwaythanyouthink。Thepeopledon\'tknowhim，andhe\'sstruckapopularnote。It\'sthefashiontobedownonrailroadsthesedays。“
“I\'vetakenthatintoaccount，“repliedMr。Hunt。
“It\'sunlucky，anditcomeshigh。Idon\'tthinkhe\'sgotashowforthenomination，butmydander\'sup，andI\'llbeathimifIhavetomortgagemyhouse。“
TheHonourableHilarygrunted，andruminated。
“Howmuchdidyousayyou\'dspent，Adam？“
“IfyouthinkI\'mnotfreeenough，I\'llloosenupalittlemore，“saidtheHonourableAdam。
“Howfreehaveyoubeen？“saidtheHonourableHilary。
Forsomereasonthequestion，putinthisform，wasproductiveofresults。
“Ican\'tsaytoadollar，butI\'vegotalltheamountsdowninabook。I
guesssomewhereintheneighbourhoodofninethousandwouldcoverit。“
Mr。Vanegruntedagain。
“Wouldyoutakeacheque，Adam？“heinquired。
“Whatfor？“criedtheHonourableAdam。
“Fortheamountyou\'vespent，“saidtheHonourableHilary，sententiously。
TheHonourableAdambegantobreathewithapparentdifficulty，andhisfacegrewpurple。ButMr。Vanedidnotappeartonoticethesealarmingsymptoms。Thenthecandidateturnedabout，asonapivot，seizedMr。
Vanebytheknee，andlookedintohisface。
“Didyoucomeupherewithordersformetogetout？“hedemanded，withsomepardonableviolence。“Bythunder，Ididn\'tthinkthatofmyoldfriend，HilaryVane。Yououghttohaveknownmebetter，andFlintoughttohaveknownmebetter。Thereain\'tamiteofuseofourstayinghereanothersecond，andyoucangorightbackandtellFlintwhatIsaid。
FlintknowsI\'vebeenwaitingtobegovernorforeightyears，andeachyearit\'sbeenjustayearahead。YouaskhimwhathesaidtomewhenhesentformetogotoNewYork。Ithoughthewasamanofhisword，andhepromisedmethatIshouldbegovernorthisyear。“
TheHonourableHilarygavenoindicationofbeingmovedbythisrighteousoutburst。
“Youcanbegovernornextyear，whenthisreformnonsensehasblownover，“hesaid。“Youcan\'tbethisyear，evenifyoustayintherace。“
“Whynot？“theHonourableAdamaskedpugnaciously。
“Yourrecordwon\'tstandit——notjustnow，“saidMr。Vane，slowly。
“Myrecordisjustasgoodasyours，oranyman\'s，“saidtheHonourableAdam。
“Ineverrunforoffice，“answeredMr。Vane。
“Haven\'tIspentthedaysofmyactivelifeintheserviceofthatroad——
andisthismyreward？Haven\'tIdonewhatFlintwantedalways？“
“That\'sjustthetrouble，“saidtheHonourableHilary；toomanyfolksknowit。Ifwe\'regoingtowinthistime，we\'vegottohaveamanwho\'sneverhadanyNortheasternconnections。“
“Whohaveyoupicked？“demandedtheHonourableAdam，withalarmingcalmness。
“Wehaven\'tpickedanybodyyet，“saidMr。Vane，“butthemanwhogoesinwillgiveyouachequeforwhatyou\'vespent，andyoucanbegovernornexttime。“
“Well，ifthisisn\'tthed-dest，coldest-bloodedpropositionevermade，I
wanttoknow！“criedtheHonourableAdam。“WillFlintputupabondofonehundredthousanddollarsthatI\'llbenominatedandelectednextyear？ThisistheclearestcaseofgoingbackonanoldfriendIeversaw。Ifthisisthewayyoufellowsgetscaredbecauseashamreformergetsupandhollersagainsttheroad，thenIwanttoservenoticeonyouthatI\'mnotmadeofthatkindofstuff。WhenIgointoafight，Igointostay，andyoucan\'tpullmeoutbythecoat-tailsinfavourofasaintwho\'sneverdonealickofworkfortheroad。YoutellFlintthat。“
“Allright，Adam，“saidHilary。
SomenoteinHilary\'svoice，ashemadethisbriefanswer，suddenlysoberedtheHonourableAdam，andsentacoldchilldownhisspine。HehadhadmanydealingswithMr。Vane，andhehadalwaysbeenasputtyinthechiefcounsel\'shands。ThissimpleacquiescencedidmoretoconvincetheHonourableAdamthathischancesofnominationwereinrealdangerthanalongandforcefulsummaryofthesituationcouldhaveaccomplished。Butlikemanyweakmen，theHonourableAdamhadastubbornstreak，andafatuousideathatoppositionandindignationweresignsofstrength。
“I\'vemadesacrificesfortheroadbefore，andeffacedmyself。Butbythunder，thisistoomuch！“
Corporations，likerepublics，areproverbiallyungrateful。TheHonourableHilarymighthavevoicedthissentiment，butrefrained。
“Mr。Flint\'sagoodfriendofyours，Adam。Hewantedmetosaythathe\'dalwaystakencareofyou，andalwayswould，sofarasinhispower。Ifyoucan\'tbelandedthistime，it\'scommonsenseforyoutogetout，andwait——isn\'tit？We\'llseethatyougetachequetocoverwhatyou\'veputout。“
ThehumourinthisfinancialsacrificeofMr。Flint\'swhichtheunknownnewcandidatewastomakewithachequestruckneithertheHonourableAdamnortheHonourableHilary。Thetransaction，ifeffected，wouldresemblethatoftheshrinetotheVirginbuiltbyagratefulMarquisofMantua——whichaJewpaidfor。
TheHonourableAdamgottohisfeet。
“YoucantellFlint，“hesaid，“thatifhewillsignabondofonehundredthousanddollarstoelectmenexttime，I\'llgetout。That\'smylastword。“
“Allright，Adam，“repliedMr。Vane，risingalso。
Mr。HuntstaredattheHonourableHilarythoughtfully；andalthoughthegubernatorialcandidatewasnotanobservantman，hewassuddenlystruckbythefactthatthechiefcounselwasgrowingold。
“Iwon\'tholdthisagainstyou，Hilary，“hesaid。
“Politics，“saidtheHonourableHilary，“arebusinessmatters。“
“I\'llshowFlintthatitwouldhavebeengoodbusinesstosticktome，“
saidtheHonourableAdam。“Whenbegetspanicky，andspendsallhismoneyonnewequipmentandservice，it\'stimeformetodrophim。Youcantellhimsofromme。“
“Hadn\'tyoubetterwritehim？“saidtheHonourableHilary。
TherumouroftheentryofMr。GilesHendersonofKingstonintothegubernatorialcontestpreceded，bytendaysorso，theactualevent。Itisdifficultforthehistoriantounraveltheprecisecircumstanceswhichledtothiscandidacy。ConservativecitizensthroughouttheState，itwasunderstood，hadbecomegreatlyconcernedoverthetrendpoliticalaffairsweretaking；theradicaldoctrinesofonecandidate——propoundedforveryobviousreasons——theyturnedfromindisgust；ontheotherhand，itwasevidentthatanunderlyingfeelingexistedincertainsectionsthatanycandidatewhowassaidtohavehadmoreorlessconnectionwiththeNortheasternRailroadswasundesirableatthepresenttime。ThiswasnottobetakenasareflectionontheNortheastern，whichhadbeenthechiefsourceoftheState\'sprosperity，butmerelyasanacknowledgmentthatapublicopinionundoubtedlyexisted，andoughttobetakenintoconsiderationbythemenwhocontrolledtheRepublicanparty。
Thiswasthegistofleadingarticleswhichappearedsimultaneouslyinseveralnewspapers，apparentlybeforethehappythoughtofbringingforwardMr。GilesHendersonhadoccurredtoanybody。Hewasmentionedfirst，andmostproperly，bytheeditorofthe“KingstonPilot；“andthearticle，withcommentsuponit，ranlikewildfirethroughthepressoftheState，——appearingeveninthosesheetswhichmaintainededitoriallythattheywerefortheHonourableAdamB。Huntfirstandlastand，allthetime。WhereuponMr。GilesHendersonbegantoreceivevisitsfromthesolidmen——notpoliticiansofthevariouscitiesandcounties。Forinstance，Mr。SilasTredwayofRipton，madesuchapilgrimageand，asacitizenwhohadvotedin1860forAbrahamLincolnshowingMr。Tredwayhimselftohavebeenaradicalonce，appealedtoMr。HendersontosavetheState。
AtfirstMr。Hendersonwouldgivenoeartotheseappeals，butshookhisheadpessimistically。Hewasnotapolitician——somuchthebetter，wedon\'twantapolitician；hewasaplainbusinessmanexactlywhatisneeded；aconservative，level-headedbusinessmanwhollylackinginthosesensationalqualitieswhichareastenchinthenostrilsofgoodcitizens。Mr。GilesHendersonadmittedthatthetimehadcomewhenamanofthesequalitieswasneeded——buthewasnottheman。Mr。Tredwaywastheman——sohetoldMr。Tredway；Mr。GatesofBramptonwastheman——soheassuredMr。Gates。Mr。Hendersonhadnodesiretomeddleinpolitics；
hislifewasahappyandafullone。ButwasitnotMr。Henderson\'sduty？Cincinnatuslefttheplough，andMr。Hendersonshouldleavetheledgeratthecallofhiscountrymen。
Mr。GilesHendersonwasmild-manneredandblue-eyed，withascantybeardthatwasturningwhite；hewasadeaconofthechurch，amemberoftheschoolboard，presidentoftheKingstonNationalBank；themainbusinessofhislifehadbeenincoalwhichincidentallyhadhadtobetransportedovertheNortheasternRailroads；andcoalrates，forsomereason，werecheaperfromKingstonthanfrommanypointsoutoftheStatethedistancesofwhichwerenearer。Mr。HendersonhadbeenabletosellhiscoalatalowerpricethananyotherlargedealerintheeasternpartoftheState。Mr。HendersonwastheholderofalargeamountofstockintheNortheastern，inheritedfromhisfather。Factsofnospecialsignificance，andnotprintedintheweeklynewspapers。Mr。HendersonlivedinagloomyGothichouseonHighStreet，atethreeveryplainmealsaday，anddrankicedwater。Hehadbeenagoodhusbandandagoodfather，andhadalwaysvotedtheRepublicanticket。Hebelievedinthegoldstandard，ahightariff，andeternaldamnation。Atlasthisresistancewasovercome，andheconsentedtoallowhisnametobeused。
Itwasused，withavengeance。SpontaneouspraiseofMr。GilesHendersonbubbledupallovertheState，andeditorswhowerefortheHonourableAdamB。Huntsuddenlydevelopedasecondchoice。Nomanwithinthebordersofthecommonwealthhadsomanygoodqualitiesasthenewcandidate，anditmusthavebeenslightlyannoyingtooneofthatgentleman\'sshrinkingnaturetoreaddaily，oncomingdowntobreakfast，alistofvirtuesattributedtohimaslongasarateschedule。Howhemusthavelongedfortherecordofonewickeddeedtomakehimhuman！
WhowillpickaflawinthecharacteroftheHonourableGilesHenderson？
Letthatmannowstandforth。
ThenewsoftheprobableadventofMr。GilesHendersononthefield，aswellasthetidingsofhisactualconsenttobeacandidate，werenotslowinreachingLeith。And——Mr。Crewe\'sBureauofInformationbeinginperfectworkingorder——thedastardlyattemptontheHonourableAdamB。
Hunt\'scoat-tailswasknownthere。Morewonderstorelate:theHonourableAdamB。Hunthadbecomeareformer；hehadmadeastatementatlast，inwhichhedeclaredwithvigourthatnomachineorringwasbehindhim；hestoodonhisownmerits，invitedtheminutestinspectionofhisrecord，declaredthathewasanadvocateofgoodgovernment，andifelectedwouldbetheservantofnomanandofnocorporation。
Thrice-blessedState，inwhichtherewerenowthreereformcandidatesforgovernor！
Allofthesehappeningswenttoindicateconfusionintheenemy\'scamp，andcorrespondingelationinMr。Crewe\'s。Woetothereputationforpoliticalsagacityofthegentlemanwhohadusedthewords“negligible“
and“monumentalfarce“！Thetidewasturning，andthecandidatefromLeithredoubledhisefforts。HadhebeenconfoundedbytheadventoftheHonourableGiles？Notatall。Mr。Crewewasnotgiventosatire；hismethods，asweknow，weredirect。HencetherealauthorofthefollowingpassageinhisspeechbeforeanoverflowmeetingintheStatecapitalremainsunknown:
“Myfriends，“Mr。Crewehadsaid，“IhavebeenwaitingforthetimewhenSt。GilesoftheBlamelessLifewouldbepushedforward，apparentlyastheonlyhopeofourso-called\'solidcitizens。\'Prolongedlaughter，andaudiblerepetitionsofMr。Henderson\'snickname，whichwastostick。I
willtellyoubywhosedesireSt。Gilesbecameacandidate，andwhosebiddinghewilldoifhebecomesgovernorasblindlyandobedientlyastheHonourableAdamB。Hunteverdid。Shoutsof“Flint！“and，“TheNortheastern！“Iseeyouknow。WhosentthesolidcitizenstoseeMr。
Henderson？“Flint！“Thisisaclevertrick——exactlywhatIshouldhavedoneifI\'dbeenrunningtheircampaign——onlytheydidn\'tdoitearlyenough。TheypickedMr。GilesHendersonfortworeasons:becausehelivesinKingston，whichisanti-railroadandsupportedtheGaylordbill，and，becauseheneverinhislifecommittedanypositiveaction，goodorbad——andheneverwill。Andtheymadeanothermistake——theHonourableAdamB。Huntwouldn\'tbackout。“Laughterandcheers。
CHAPTERXXII
INWHICHEUPHRASIATAKESAHAND
AustenhadnotforgottenhispromisetoEuphrasia，andhehadgonetoHanoverStreetmanytimessincehissojournatMr。JabeJenney\'s。
Usuallythesevisitshadtakenplaceinthemiddleoftheday，whenEuphrasia，withgentlebutdeterminedinsistence，hadmadehimsitdownbeforesomemorselwhichshehadpreparedagainsthiscoming，andwhichhehadnotthehearttorefuse。InanswertohisinquiriesaboutHilary，shewouldtossherheadandreply，disdainfully，thathewasascomfortableasheshouldbe。ForEuphrasiahadherownstrictideasofjustice，andtohermindHilary\'ssufferingwasdeserved。Thatsufferingwasallthemoreterriblebecauseitwassilent，butEuphrasiawasasternwoman。ToknowthathemissedAusten，tofeelthatHilarywasbeingjustlypunishedforhistreatmentofheridol，forhiscallousneglectandlackofrealizationoftheblessingsofhislife——thesewereEuphrasia\'sgrimcompensations。
Attimes，even，shehadexperiencedastrangerejoicingthatshehadpromisedAustentoremainwithhisfather，forthusithadbeengivenhertobethedailywitnessofaretributionforwhichshehadlongedduringmanyyears。Nordidshestrivetohideherfeelings。Theirintercourse，nevervoluminous，hadshrunktothebarestnecessitiesfortheuseofspeech；butHilary，eversincethenightofhisson\'sdeparture，hadreadinthefaceofhishousekeeperaknowledgeofhissuffering，anexultationathousandtimesmoremaddeningthanthelittlereproachesoflanguagewouldhavebeen。Heavoidedhermorethanever，andmustmanytimeshaveregrettedbitterlythefactthathehadbetrayedhimselftoher。AsforEuphrasia，shehadnonotionofdisclosingHilary\'storturetohisson。Shewasdeterminedthatthevictory，whenitcame，shouldbeAusten\'s，andthesurrenderHilary\'s。
“Hemanagestoeathismeals，andgetsalongascommon，“shewouldreply。
Heonlythinksofhimselfandthatrailroad。“
ButAustenreadbetweenthelines。
“PooroldJudge，“hewouldanswer；“it\'sbecausehe\'smadethatway，Phrasie。Hecan\'thelpit，anymorethanIcanhelpflinginglaw-booksonthefloorandrunningofftothecountrytohaveagoodtime。YouknowaswellasIdothathehasn\'thadmuchjoyoutoflife；thathe\'dliketobedifferent，onlyhedoesn\'tknowhow。“
“Ican\'tseethatittakesmuchknowledgetotreatawifeandsonlikehumanbeings，“Euphrasiaretorted；“that\'sonlycommonhumanity。Foramanthatgoestomeetin\'twiceaweek，you\'dhavethoughthe\'dhavelearnedsomethingbythistimeoutoftheNewTestament。He\'sprayedenoughinhislife，goodnessknows！“
NowEuphrasia\'sordinarilysharpeyesweresharpenedanhundredfoldbyaffection；andoflate，atoddmomentsduringhisvisits，Austenhadsurprisedthemfixedonhimwithapenetrationthattroubledhim。
“Youdon\'tseemtofancythetartsasmuchasyouusedto，“shewouldremark。“Timewaswhenyou\'deatthreeandfouratasittin\'。“
“Phrasie，oneofyourpersistentfallaciesis，thatI\'mstillaboy。“
“Youain\'tyourself，“saidEuphrasia，ignoringthispleasantry，“andyouain\'tbeenyourselfforsomemonths。I\'veseenit。Ihaven\'tbroughtyouupfornothing。Ifhe\'stroublingyou，don\'tyouworryamite。Heain\'tworthit。Heeatsbetterthanyoudo。“
“I\'mnotworryingmuchaboutthat，“Austenanswered，smiling。“TheJudgeandIwillpatchitupbeforelong——I\'msure。He\'sworriednowoverthesepeoplewhoaremakingtroubleforhisrailroad。“
“Iwishrailroadshadneverbeeninvented，“criedEuphrasia。“Itseemstometheybringnothingbuttrouble。Mymotherusedtogetalongprettywellinastage-coach。“
OneeveninginSeptember，whenthesummerdayswererapidlygrowingshorterandthemistsroseearlierinthevalleyoftheBlue，Austen，whohadstayedlateattheofficepreparingacase，atehissupperattheRiptonHouse。Ashesatinthebigdiningroom，whichwasalmostempty，thesenseoflonelinesswhichhehadexperiencedsooftenoflatecameoverhim，andhethoughtofEuphrasia。Hisfather，heknew，hadgonetoKingstonforthenight，andsohedroveupHanoverStreetandhitchedPeppertothestonepostbeforethedoor。Euphrasia，accordingtoaninvariablecustom，wouldbeknittinginthekitchenatthishour；andatthesightofhiminthewindow，shedroppedherworkwithalittle，joyfulcry。
“Iwasjustthinkingofyou！“shesaid，inalowvoiceoftendernesswhichmanypeoplewouldnothaverecognizedasEuphrasia\'s；asthoughherthoughtsofhimweretheerrantonesofoddmoments！“I\'msogladyoucome。It\'slonesomehereofevenings，Austen。“
Heenteredsilentlyandsatdownbesideher，inaWindsorchairwhichhadbelongedtosomeremoteAustenofbygonedays。
“Youdon\'thaveasgoodthingstoeatupatMis\'Jenney\'sasIgiveyou，“
sheremarked。“Notthatyouappeartocaremuchforeatablesanymore。
Austen，areyoufeelingpoorly？“
“IcandigmorepotatoesinadaythananyothermaninRipton，“hedeclared。
“You\'doughttogetmarried，“saidEuphrasia，abruptly。“I\'vetoldyouthatbefore，butyouneverseemtopayanyattentiontowhatIsay。“
“Whyhaven\'tyoutriedit，Phrasie？“heretorted。
Hewasnotpreparedforwhatfollowed。Euphrasiadidnotansweratonce，butpresentlyherknittingdroppedtoherlap，andshesatstaringattheoldclockonthekitchenshelf。
“Heneveraskedme，“shesaid，simply。
Austenwassilent。Theanswerseemedtorecall，withinfinitepathos，Euphrasia\'slong-lostyouth，andhehadnotthoughtofyouthasaqualitywhichcouldeverhavepertainedtoher。Shemusthavebeenyoungonce，andfresh，andfullofhopeforherself；shemusthaveknown，longago，somethingofwhathenowfelt，somethingofthejoyandpain，somethingoftheinexpressible，neverceasingyearningforthefulfilmentofadesirethatdwarfedallothers。Euphrasiahadbeendeniedthatfulfilment。Andhe——wouldhe，too，bedeniedit？
OutofEuphrasia\'seyes，asshegazedatthemantel-shelf，shonethelightofundyingfireswithin——fireswhichatatouchcouldblazeforthafterendlessyears，transformingthewrinkledface，softeningthesternerlinesofcharacter。Andsuddenlytherewasanewbondbetweenthetwo。Sousedaretheyoungtotheacceptanceofthesacrificeoftheoldthattheylosesightofthatsacrifice。ButAustensawnow，inaflash，theyearsofEuphrasia\'sself-denial，theyearsofmemories，theyearsofregretsforthatwhichmighthavebeen。
“Phrasie，“hesaid，layingahandonhers，whichrestedonthearmofthechair，Iwasonlyjoking，youknow。“
“Iknow，Iknow，“Euphrasiaansweredhastily，andturnedandlookedintohisfacesearchingly。Hereyeswereundimmed，andthelightwasstillinthemwhichrevealedasoulofwhichhehadhadnopreviousknowledge。