“Iknowyouwas，dear。Inevertoldthattoalivingbeingexceptyourmother。He\'sdeadnow——heneverknew。ButItoldher——Icouldn\'thelpit。Shehadawayofdrawingthingsoutofyou，andyoujustcouldn\'tresist。I\'llneverforgetthatdayshecameinhereandlookedatmeandtookmyhand——sameasyouhaveitnow。Shewasn\'tmarriedthen。I\'llneverforgetthesoundofhervoiceasshesaid，\'Euphrasia，tellmeaboutit。\'“HereEuphrasia\'sownvoicetrembled。“Itoldher，justasI\'mtellingyou，——becauseIcouldn\'thelpit。Folks，hadtotellherthings。“
Sheturnedherhandandclaspedhistightlywithherownthinfingers。
“Andoh，Austen，“shecried，“Iwantsothatyoushouldbehappy！Shewassounhappy，itdoesn\'tseemrightthatyoushouldbe，too。“
“Ishallbe，Phrasie，“hesaid；“youmustn\'tworryaboutthat。“
Forawhiletheonlysoundintheroomwasthetickingoftheoldclockwiththequaint，colouredpictureonitspanel。Andthen，withamovementwhich，strangely，wasanacutereminderofawayVictoriahad，Euphrasiaturnedandsearchedhisfaceoncemore。
“You\'renothappy，“shesaid。
Hecouldnotputthisaside——nordidhewishto。Herownconfidencehadbeensosimple，sofine，sosureofhissympathy，thathefeltitwouldbeunworthytoequivocate；theconfessionsoftheself-reliantaresacredthings。Yes，andtherehadbeentimeswhenhehadlongedtounburdenhimself；buthehadhadnointimateonthisplane，anddespitethegreatsympathybetweenthem——thatEuphrasiamightunderstandhadneveroccurredtohim。Shehadreadhissecret。
InthatinstantEuphrasia，withtheinstinctwhichlovelendstohersex，hadgonefarther；indignationseizedher——andtheblamefelluponthewoman。Austen\'swords，unconsciously，wereananswertoherthoughts。
“Itisn\'tanybody\'sfaultbutmyown，“hesaid。
Euphrasia\'slipsweretightlyclosed。Longagotheidolofheryouthhadfadedintothesubstanceofwhichdreamsaremade——toberecalledbydreamsalone；anotherworshiphadfilledherheart，andAustenVanehadbecome——forher——thefulnessandtheverymeaningoflifeitself；onetobeadmiredofallmen，tobedesiredofallwomen。VisionsofAusten\'scourtshiphadattimesriseninhermind，althoughEuphrasiawouldnothavecalleditacourtship。Whenthetimecame，Austenwouldconfer；andsosureofhisjudgmentwasEuphrasiathatshewaspreparedtotaketherecipientofthepricelessgiftintoherarms。Andnow！Wasitpossiblethatawomanlivedwhowouldevenhesitate？CuriosityseizedEuphrasiawiththeintensityofapassion。Whowasthiswoman？Whenandwherehadheseenher？Riptoncouldnothaveproducedher——foritwascharacteristicofEuphrasiathatnogirlofheracquaintancewasworthytoberaisedtosuchaheight；Austen\'swifewouldbeanunknownofidealappearanceandattainments。HenceindignationrockedEuphrasia，anddoubtsswayedher。Inthisaloneshehadbeenanidealist，butshemighthaveknownthatgoodmenwereapreytotheunworthyoftheoppositesex。
SheglancedatAusten\'sface，andhesmiledathergently，asthoughhedivinedsomethingofherthoughts。
“Ifitisn\'tyourfault，thatyou\'renothappy，thenthematter\'seasilymended，“shesaid。
Heshookhisheadather，asthoughinreproof。
“Wasyours——easilymended？“heasked。
Euphrasiawassilentamoment。
“Heneverknew，“sherepeated，inalowvoice。
“Well，Phrasie，itlooksverymuchasifwewereinthesameboat，“hesaid。
Euphrasia\'sheartgaveabound。
“Thenyouhaven\'tspoke！“shecried；“Iknewyouhadn\'t。I——Iwasawoman——butsometimesI\'vethoughtI\'doughttohavegivenhimsomesign。
You\'reaman，Austen；thankGodforit，you\'reaman。Ifamanlovesawoman，he\'sonlygottotellherso。“
“Itisn\'tassimpleasthat，“heanswered。
Euphrasiagavehimastartledglance。
“Sheain\'tmarried？“sheexclaimed。
“No，“hesaid，andlaughedinspiteofhimself。
Euphrasiabreathedagain。ForSarahAustenhadhadamoralityofherown，andonoccasionshadgivenexpressiontoextremeviews。
“She\'snotplayin\'withyou？“wasEuphrasia\'snextquestion，andhertonebodedilltoanyyoungpersonwhowouldindulgeinthesetacticswithAusten。
Heshookhisheadagain，andsmiledathervehemence。
“No，she\'snotplayingwithme——sheisn\'tthatkind。I\'dliketotellyou，butIcan\'t——Ican\'t。ItwasonlybecauseyouguessedthatIsaidanythingaboutit。“Hedisengagedhishand，androse，andpattedheronthecheek。“IsupposeIhadtotellsomebody，“hesaid，“andyouseemed，somehow，tobetherightperson，Phrasie。“
Euphrasiaroseabruptlyandlookedupintentlyintohisface。Hethoughtitstrangeafterwards，ashedrovealongthedarkroads，thatshehadnotansweredhim。
Eventhoughthematterwereonthekneesofthegods，Euphrasiawouldhavetakenitthence，ifshecould。NordidAustenknowthatshesharedwithhim，thatnight，hiswakinghours。
ThenextmorningMr。ThomasGaylord，theyounger，wasmakinghiswaytowardstheofficeoftheGaylordLumberCompany，convenientlysituatedonWillowStreet，neartherailroad。YoungTomwasinaparticularlyjovialframeofmind，despitethefactthathehadarrivedinRipton，onthenightexpress，asearlyasfiveo\'clockinthemorning。HehadbeentouringtheStateostensiblyonlumberbusiness，butyoungTomhadalargeandvariedpersonalaswellascommercialacquaintance，andhehadtheinestimablehappinessofbeingregardedasanhonestman，whilehisroughandgenialqualitiesmadehimbeloved。Forthesereasonsandothersofamorematerialnature，suggestionsfromMr。ThomasGaylordwereapttobewellreceived——andTomhadbeenmakingsuggestions。
Earlyashewasathisoffice——theoffice-boywassprinklingthefloor——
youngTomhadavisitorwhowasearlierstill。Pausinginthedoorway，Mr。Gaylordbeheldwithastonishmentaprim，elderlyladyinastiff，blackdresssittinguprightontheedgeofacapaciousoakchairwhichseemeditselfratherdiscomfitedbywhatitcontained，——foritshospitalityhadhithertobeenextendedtovisitorsofaverydifferentsort。
“Well，uponmysoul，“criedyoungTom，“ifitisn\'tEuphrasia！“
“Yes，it\'sme，“saidEuphrasia；“I\'vebeentomarket，andIhadanotiontoseeyoubeforeIwenthome。“
Mr。Gaylordtooktheoffice-boylightlybythecollarofhiscoatandliftedhim，sprinklingcanandall，outofthedoorwayandclosedthedoor。ThenhedrewhisrevolvingchairclosetoEuphrasia，andsatdown。
Theywereoldfriends，andmorethanonceinayouthfarfrommodelTomhadexperiencedcertainphysicalreproofatherhands，forwhichheborenoill-will。Therewasanxietyonhisfaceasheasked:——
“Therehasn\'tbeenanyaccident，hasthere，Euphrasia？“
“No，“shesaid。
“Nonewrow？“inquiredTom。
“No，“saidEuphrasia。Shewasadirectperson，asweknow，buttruedescendantsofthePuritansbelieveinthedecencyofpreliminaries，andherewascertainlyanaffairnottobeplungedinto。Euphrasiawasaspinsterinthestrictestsenseofthatformidableandhighlydescriptiveterm，andsheintendedultimatelytodiscusswithTomasubjectofwhichshewassupposedbytraditiontobewhollyignorant，themerementionofwhichstillbroughtwarmthtohercheeks。Suchadelicatemattershouldsurelybeleduptodelicately。InthemeanwhileTomwasmystified。
“Well，I\'mmightygladtoseeyou，anyhow，“hesaidheartily。“Itwasfoodofyoutocall，Euphrasia。Ican\'tofferyouacigar。“
“Ishouldthinknot，“saidEuphrasia。
Tomreddened。Hestillretainedforhersomeofhisyouthfulawe。
“Ican\'tdothehonoursofhospitalityasI\'dwishto，“hewenton；“I
can\'tgiveyouanythinglikethepiesyouusedtogiveme。“
“Youstolemostof\'em，“saidEuphrasia。
“Iguessthat\'sso，“saidyoungTom，laughing，“butI\'llnevertastepieslike\'emagainaslongasIlive。Doyouknow，Euphrasia，thereweretworeasonswhythosewerethebestpiesIeverate？“
“Whatwerethey？“sheasked，apparentlyunmoved。
“First，“saidTom，“becauseyoumade\'em，andsecond，becausetheywerestolen。“
Truly，youngTomhadawaywithwomen，hadheonlybeenawareofit。
“Inevertookmuchstockinstolenthings，“saidEuphrasia。
“It\'sbecauseyouneverweretemptedwithsuchpieasthat，“repliedtheaudaciousMr。Gaylord。
“You\'regettin\'almightystout，“saidEuphrasia。
Asweseeherthismorning，couldsheindeedeverhavehadaloveaffair？
“Idon\'thavetousemylegsasmuchasIoncedid，“saidTom。Andthisremarkbroughttoanendthefirstphaseofthisconversation，——broughttoanend，apparently，allconversationwhatsoever。Tomrackedhisbrainforanewtopic，openedhisroll-topdesk，drummedonit，lookedupattheceilingandwhistledsoftly，andthenturnedandfacedagaintheimperturbableEuphrasia。
“Euphrasia，“hesaid，you\'renotexactlyapolitician，Ibelieve。“
“Well，“saidEuphrasia，I\'vebe\'nmalignedagoodmanytimes，butnobodyeverwentthatfar。“
Mr。Gaylordshookwithlaughter。
“ThenIguessthere\'snoharminconfidingpoliticalsecretstoyou，“hesaid。“I\'vebeenaroundtheStatesomethisweek，talkingtopeopleI
know，andIbelieveifyourAustenwasn\'tsoobstinate，wecouldmakehimgovernor。“
“Obstinate？“ejaculatedEuphrasia。
“Yes，“saidTom，withatwinkleinhiseye，“obstinate。Hedoesn\'tseemtowantsomethingthatmostmenwouldgivetheirsoulsfor。“
“Andwhyshouldhedirtyhimselfwithpolitics？“shedemanded。“IntheyearsI\'velivedwithHilaryVaneI\'veseenenoughofpoliticians，goodnessknows。Ineverwanttoseeanother。“
“IfAustenwasgovernor，we\'dchangesomeofthat。Butmind，Euphrasia，thisisasecret，“saidTom，raisingawarningfinger。“IfAustenhearsaboutitnow，thejig\'sup。“
Euphrasiaconsideredandthawedalittle。
“Theydon\'toftenhavegovernorsthatyoung，dothey？“sheasked。
“No，“saidTom，forcibly，“theydon\'t。AndsofarasIknow，theyhaven\'thadsuchagovernorforyearsasAustenwouldmake。Buthewon\'tpushhimself。Youknow，Euphrasia，IhavealwaysbelievedthathewillbePresidentsomeday。“
Euphrasiareceivedthissomewhatstartlingpredictioncomplacently。Shehadnodoubtofitsaccuracy，buttheenunciationofitraisedyoungTominherestimation，andincidentallybroughthernearerhertopic。
“Austenain\'thimselflately，“sheremarked。
“Iknewthathedidn\'tgetalongwithHilary，“saidTom，sympathetically，beginningtorealizenowthatEuphrasiahadcometotalkaboutheridol。
“It\'sHilarydoesn\'tgetalongwithhim，“sheretortedindignantly。
“He\'sresponsible——notAusten。Ofallthenarrow，pig-headed，selfishmentheLordevercreated，HilaryVane\'stheworst。It\'sHilarydrovehimoutofhismother\'shousetolivewithstrangers。It\'sAustenthatcomesaroundtoinquireforhisfather——HilaryneverhasawordtosayaboutAusten。“AtraceofcolouractuallyroseunderEuphrasia\'ssallowskin，andshecasthereyesdownward。“You\'veknownhimagoodwhile，haven\'tyou，Tom？“
“Allmylife，“saidTom，mystifiedagain，“allmylife。AndI，thinkmoreofhimthanofanybodyelseintheworld。“
“Icalculatedasmuch，“shesaid；“that\'swhyIcame。“Shehesitated。
ArtfulEuphrasia！WewilllettheingenuousMr。Gaylordbethefirsttomentionthisdelicatematter，ifpossible。“Goodnessknows，itain\'tHilaryIcametotalkabout。Ihadanotionthatyou\'dknowifanythingelsewastroublingAusten。“
“Why，“saidTom，“therecan\'tbeanybusinesstroublesoutsideofthoseHilary\'smixedupin。Austendoesn\'tspendanymoneytospeakof，exceptwhathegivesaway，andhe\'spracticallychiefcounselforourcompany。“
Euphrasiawassilentamoment。
“Isupposethere\'snothingelsethatcouldbotherhim，“sheremarked。
ShehadneverheldTomGaylord\'spowersofcomprehensioninhighestimation，andtheestimatehadnotrisenduringthisvisit。Butshehadundervaluedhim；evenTomcouldrisetoaninspiration——whenthesourcesofallotherinspirationswereeliminated。
“Why，“heexclaimed，withamasculinelackofdelicacy，“hemaybeinlove——“
“That\'sstruckyou，hasit？“saidEuphrasia。
ButTomappearedtobethinking；hewas，intruth，engagedincollectinghiscumulativeevidence:Austen\'ssleigh-rideatthecapital，whichhehaddiscovered；histalkwithVictoriaafterherfall，whenshehadbetrayedaninterestinAustenwhichTomhadthoughtentirelynatural；
andfinallyVictoria\'sappearanceatMr。Crewe\'srallyinRipton。YoungMr。Gaylordhadnothadagreatdealofexperienceinaffairsoftheheart，andhewashimselfawarethathisdiagnosisinsuchamatterwouldnotcarrymuchweight。HehadconceivedatremendousadmirationforVictoria，whichhadbeenshakenalittlebythesuspicionthatshemightbeintendingtomarryMr。Crewe。TomGaylordsawnoreasonwhyAustenVaneshouldnotmarryMr。Flint\'sdaughterifhechose——oranyotherman\'sdaughter；partaking，inthisrespect，somewhatofEuphrasia\'sview。
AsforAustenhimself，Tomhadseennosymptoms；butthen，hereflected，hewouldnotbelikelytoseeany。However，heperceivedtheobjectnowofEuphrasia\'svisit，andbegantotaketheliveliestinterestinit。
“SoyouthinkAusten\'sinlove？“hedemanded。
Euphrasiasatupstraighter，ifanything。
“Ididn\'tsayanythingofthekind，“shereturned。
“Hewouldn\'ttellme，youknow，“saidTom；“Icanonlyguessatit。“
“Andthe——lady？“saidEuphrasia，craftily。
“I\'mupatreethere，too。AllIknowisthathetookhersleigh-ridingoneafternoonatthecapital，andwouldn\'ttellmewhohewasgoingtotake。AndthenshefelloffherhorsedownatEastTunbridgeStation——“
“Felloffherhorse！“echoedEuphrasia，anaccidentcomparableinhermindtofallingoffaroof。Whatmannerofyoungwomanwasthiswhofelloffhorses？
“Shewasn\'thurt，“Tomcontinued，“andsherodethebeasthome。Hewasawildone，Icantellyou，andshe\'sgotpluck。That\'sthefirsttimeI
evermether，althoughIhadoftenseenherandthoughtshewasastunnertolookat。ShetalkedasifshetookaninterestinAusten。“
AnexactportrayalofEuphrasia\'sfeelingsatthisdescriptionoftheobjectofAusten\'saffectionsisalmostimpossible。Ayoungwomanwhowasastunner，whorodewildhorsesandfelloffthemandrodethemagain，wasbeyondthepalenotonlyofEuphrasia\'sexperiencebutofherimaginationlikewise。AndthishoydenhadtalkedasthoughshetookaninterestinAusten！Euphrasiawasspeechless。
“ThenexttimeIsawher，“saidTom，“waswhenshecamedownheretolistentoHumphreyCrewe\'sattacksontherailroad。IthoughtthatwasasortofaqueerthingforFlint\'sdaughtertodo，butAustendidn\'tseemtolookatitthatway。Hetalkedtoheraftertheshowwasover。“
AtthispointEuphrasiacouldcontainherselfnolonger，andinherexcitementsheslippedofftheedgeofthechairandontoherfeet。
“Flint\'sdaughter？“shecried；“AugustusP。Flint\'sdaughter？“
Tomlookedatherinamazement。
“Didn\'tyouknowwhoitwas？“hestammered。ButEuphrasiawasnotlistening。
“I\'veseenher，“shewassaying；“I\'veseenherridin\'throughRiptoninthatlittleredwagon，drivin\'herself，withacoachmanperchedupbesideher。Flint\'sdaughter！“Euphrasiabecamespeechlessoncemore，thecomplicationsopenedupbeingtoovastforintelligentcomment。
Euphrasia，however，graspedsomeoftheproblemswhichAustenhadhadtoface。Moreover，shehadlearnedwhatshehadcomefor，andtheobviousthingtodonowwastogohomeandreflect。So，withoutfurtherceremony，shewalkedtothedoorandopenedit，andturnedagainwithherhandontheknob。“Lookhere，TomGaylord，“shesaid，ifyoutellAustenIwashere，I\'llneverforgiveyou。Idon\'tbelieveyou\'vegotanymoresensethantodoit。“
Andwiththesewordsshetookherdeparture，eretheamazedMr。Gaylordhadtimetoshowherout。Halfanhourelapsedbeforeheopenedhisletters。
WhenshearrivedhomeinHanoverStreetitwasnineo\'clock——anhourwelloninthedayforEuphrasia。Unlockingthekitchendoor，shegaveaglanceatthestovetoassureherselfthatithadnotbeenmisbehaving，andwentintothepassageonherwayup-stairstotakeoffhergownbeforesittingdowntoreflectupontheastonishingthingshehadheard。
HabithadsocrystallizedinEuphrasiathatnonews，howeveramazing，couldhaveshakenit。Butinthepassageshepaused；anunwonted，orratheruntimely，soundreachedherears，asoundwhichcamefromthefrontofthehouse——andatnineo\'clockinthemorning！HadAustenbeenathome，Euphrasiawouldhavethoughtnothingofit。InherremembranceHilaryVane，whetherhereturnedfromajourneyornot，hadneverbeeninsidethehouseatthathouronaweek-day；and，unlikethegentlemanin“LaViedeBoheme，“EuphrasiadidnothavetoberemindedoftheSabbath。
PerhapsAustenhadreturned！Orperhapsitwasaburglar！Euphrasia，undaunted，ranthroughthedarkenedfronthalltowherethegracefulbanisterendedinacurveatthefootofthestairs，andthere，onthebottomstep，satamanwithhisheadinhishands。Euphrasiashrieked。
Helookedup，andshesawthatitwasHilaryVane。Shewouldhaveshrieked，anyway。
“Whatintheworld\'sthematterwithyou？“shecried。
“I——Istumbledcomingdownthestairs，“hesaid。
“Butwhatareyoudoingathomeinthemiddleofthemorning？“shedemanded。
Hedidnotanswerher。Thesubduedlightwhichcreptundertheporchandcameinthroughthefanshapedwindowoverthedoorfellonhisface。
“Areyousick？“saidEuphrasia。Inallherlifeshehadneverseenhimlooklikethat。
Heshookhishead，butdidnotattempttorise。AHilaryVanewithoutvigour！
“No，“hesaid，“no。Ijustcameupherefromthetrainto——getsomethin\'
I\'dleftinmyroom。“
“Alikelystory！“saidEuphrasia。“You\'veneverdonethatinthirtyyears。You\'resick，andI\'ma-goingforthedoctor。“
Sheputherhandtohisforehead，buthethrustitawayandgottohisfeet，althoughintheefforthecompressedhislipsandwinced。
“Youstaywhereyouare，“hesaid；“ItellyouI\'mnotsick，andI\'mgoingdowntothesquare。Let，thedoctorsalone——Ihaven\'tgotanyusefor\'em。“
Hewalkedtothedoor，openedit，andwentoutandslammeditinherface。Bythetimeshehadgotitopenagain——acrack——hehadreachedthesidewalk，andwasapparentlyinfullpossessionofhispowersandfaculties。
CHAPTERXXIII
AFALLING-OUTINHIGHPLACES
Althoughoneofthemostexcitingpoliticalbattleseverfoughtisfastcomingtoitsclimax，andanowjubilantMr。CreweiscontestingeveryfootofgroundintheStatewiththedeterminationandpertinacitywhichmakehimamarkedman；althoughtheconventionwhereinhisfatewillbedecidedisnowbutafewdaysdistant，andeverythinghasbeendonetosecureavictorywhichmortalmancando，letusfollowHilaryVanetoFairview。NotthatHilaryhasbeenidle。The“BookofArguments“isexhausted，andthechiefsandthecaptainshavebeentoRipton，andreceivedtheirfinalorders，butmorethanonehasgonebacktohisfiefwiththevisionofachangedHilarywhohaspuzzledthem。RumourshavebeenintheairthattheharmonybetweentheSourceofPowerandtheDistributionofPowerisnotascompleteasitoncewas。Certainly，HilaryVaneisnotthemanhewas——althoughthismustnotevenbewhispered。SenatorWhitredgehadtold——butnevermindthat。Intheolddaysanorderwasanorder；therewerenorebelsthen。Intheolddaystherewasnowaveringandrescinding，andifthechiefcounseltoldyou，withbrevity，todoathing，youwentanddiditstraightway，withtheknowledgethatitwasthebestthingtodo。HilaryVanehadagedsuddenly，anditoccurredforthefirsttimetomanythat，inthisutilitarianworld，oldbloodmustbesupersededbyyoungblood。
Twodaysbeforetheconvention，immediatelyaftertakingdinnerattheRiptonHousewithMr。NatBillings，HilaryVane，inresponsetoasummons，droveuptoFairview。OnedrivingbehindhimwouldhaveobservedthattheHonourableHilary\'shorsetookhisowngaits，andthatthereins，mostofthetime，droopedlistlesslyonhisquarters。A
Septemberstillnesswasintheair，aSeptemberpurpleclothedthedistanthills，buttoHilarythegloriesofthedaywereasthingsnon-
existent。EventhegroomatFairview，whotookhishorse，glancedbackathimwithapeculiarexpressionashestoodforamomentonthestepswithahesitancythemanhadneverbeforeremarked。
InthemeantimeMr。Flint，withapileoflettersinaspecialbasketontheedgeofhisdesk，wasawaitinghiscounsel；thepresidentoftheNortheasternwaspacinghisroom，aswashiswontwhenhisactivitieswereforamomentcurbed，orwhenhehadsomethingonhismind；andeveryfewmomentshewouldglancetowardshismantelattheclockwhichwassettorailroadtime。InpastdayshehadneverknownHilaryVanetobeamomentlatetoanappointment。Thedoorwasopen，andfiveandtwentyminuteshadpassedthehourbeforehesawthelawyerinthedoorway。Mr。
Flintwasamanofsuchpreoccupationofmindthathewasnotlikelytobestruckbyanychangetheremighthavebeeninhiscounsel\'sappearance。
“It\'shalf-pastthree，“hesaid。
Hilaryentered，andsatdownbesidethewindow。
“YoumeanthatI\'mlate，“hereplied。
“I\'vegotsomeengineerscominghereinlessthananhour，“saidMr。
Flint。
“I\'llbegoneinlessthananhour，“saidHilary。
“Well，“saidMr。Flint，“let\'sgetdowntohardtack。I\'vegottobefrankwithyou，Vane，andtellyouplainlythatthispoliticalbusinessisallatsixesandsevens。“
“Itisn\'tnecessarytotellmethat，“saidHilary。
“Whatdoyoumean？“
“ImeanthatIknowit。“
“Toputitmildly，“thepresidentoftheNortheasterncontinued，“it\'stheworstmixed-upcampaignIeverknew。Herewearewiththeconventiononlytwodaysoff，andwedon\'tknowwherewestand，howmanydelegateswe\'vegot，orwhetherthisupstartatLeithisgoingtobenominatedoverourheads。Here\'sAdamHuntwithhisbackup，declaringhe\'sareformer，andallhissectionoftheStatebehindhim。Nowifthatcouldhavebeenhandledotherwise——“
“WhotoldHunttogoin？“Hilaryinquired。
“Thingsweredifferentthen，“saidMr。Flint，vigorously。“Hunthadbeenpromisedthegovernorshipforalongtime，andwhenRidoutbecameoutofthequestion——“
“WhydidRidoutbecomeoutofthequestion？“askedHilary。
Mr。Flintmadeagestureofimpatience。
“OnaccountofthatfoolishnessintheLegislature，ofcourse。“
“ThatfoolishnessintheLegislature，asyoucallit，representedasentimentallovertheState，“saidHilary。“AndifI\'dbeenyou，I
wouldn\'thaveletHuntinthisyear。Butyoudidn\'taskmyopinion。YouaskedmewhenyoubeggedmetogetAdamout，andIpredictedthathewouldn\'tgetout。“
Mr。Flinttookaturnupanddowntheroom。
“I\'msorryIdidn\'tsendforhimtogotoNewYork，“hesaid。“Well，anyway，thecampaign\'sbeenmuddled，that\'scertain，——whoevermuddledit。“Andthepresidentlookedathiscounselasthoughhe，atleast，hadnodoubtsonthispoint。ButHilaryappearedunawareoftheimplication，andmadenoreply。
“Ican\'tfindoutwhatBascomandBotcheraredoing，“Mr。Flintwenton；
“Idon\'tgetanyreports——theyhaven\'tbeenhere。Perhapsyouknow。
They\'vehadtrippassesenoughtomovethewholepopulationofPutnamCounty。Fairplaysaysthey\'regettin\'delegatesforAdamHuntinsteadofGilesHenderson。AndWhitredgesaysthatJakeBotcheristalkingreform。“
“IguessBotcherandBascomknowtheirbusiness，“saidMr。Vane。IfMr。
Flinthadbeenalessconcentratedman，hemighthaveobservedthattheHonourableHilaryhadnotcutapieceofHoneyDewthisafternoon。
“Whatistheirbusiness？“askedMr。Flint——alittleirrelevantlyforhim。
“WhatyouandItaught\'em，“saidMr。Vane。
Mr。Flintconsideredthisamoment，anddecidedtoletitpass。HelookedattheHonourableHilarymoreclosely，however。
“What\'sthematterwithyou，Vane？You\'renotsick，areyou？“
“No。“
Mr。Flinttookanotherturn。
“Nowthequestionis，whatarewegoingtodo？Ifyou\'vegotanyplan，I
wanttohearit。“
Mr。Vanewassilent。
“SupposeCrewegoesintotheconventionwithenoughdelegatestolockitup，sothatnoneofthethreehasamajority？“
“Iguesshe\'lldothat，“saidMr。Vane。Hefumbledinhispocket，anddrewoutatypewrittenlist。Itmustbeexplainedthatthecaucuses，orprimaries，hadbeenheldinthevarioustownsoftheStateatodddates，andthatthedelegatespledgedforthedifferentcandidateshadbeenpublishedinthenewspapersfromtimetotime——althoughverymuchinaccordancewiththedesiresoftheirindividualnewspapers。Mr。Crewe\'sdelegatesnecessarilyhadbeenannouncedbywhatisknownaspoliticaladvertising。Mr。FlinttooktheHonourableHilary\'slist，ranhiseyeoverit，andwhistled。
“Youmeanheclaimsthreehundredandfiftyoutofthethousand。“
“No，“saidHilary，“heclaimssixhundred。He\'llhavethreehundredandfifty。“
Inspiteofthe\'BookofArguments，\'Mr。Crewewastohavethreehundred！
Itwasincredible，preposterous。Mr。Flintlookedathiscounseloncemore，andwonderedwhetherhecouldbementallyfailing。
“Fairplayonlygiveshimtwohundred。“
“Fairplayonlygavehimten，inthebeginning，“saidHilary。
“YoucomeheretwodaysbeforetheconventionandtellmeCrewehasthreehundredandfifty！“Mr。Flintexclaimed，asthoughHilaryVanewerepersonallyresponsibleforMr。Crewe\'sdelegates。Averydifferenttonefromthatofothertimes，whenconventionsweremereratificationsofImperialdecrees。“Doyourealizewhatitmeansifwelosecontrol？
Thousandsandthousandsofdollarsinimprovements——rollingstock，betterservice，newbridges，andeliminationsofgradecrossings。Andthey\'llraiseourtaxratetotheaverage，whichmeansthousandsmore。Anewrailroadcommissionthatwecan\'ttalkto，andlowerdividends——lowerdividends，doyouunderstand？Thatmeanstroublewiththedirectors，thestockholders，andcallsforexplanations。AndwhatexplanationscanI
makewhichcanbeprintedinapublicreport？“
“Youwerealwaysprettygoodat\'em，Flint，“saidHilary。
Thisremark，aswasperhapsnatural，didnotimprovethetemperofthepresidentoftheNortheastern。
“IfyouthinkIlikethispoliticalbusinessanybetterthanyoudo，you\'remightilymistaken，“hereplied。“AndnowIwanttohearwhatplanyou\'vegotfortheconvention。Supposethere\'sadeadlock，asyousaytherewillbe，howareyougoingtohandleit？CanyougetadealthroughbetweenGilesHendersonandAdamHunt？Withallmyotherwork，I\'vehadtogointothismyself。Hunthasn\'tgotachance。BascomandBotcherareegginghimonandmakinghimbelievehehas。WhenHuntgetsintotheconventionandbeginstofalloff，you\'vegottotalktohim，Vane。AndhisdelegateshaveallgottobeseenatthePelicanthenightbeforeandunderstandthatthey\'retoswingtoHendersonaftertwoballots。You\'vegottokeepyourhandonthethrottleintheconvention，youunderstand。AndIdon\'tneedtoimpressuponyouhowgravearetheconsequencesifthismanCrewegetsin，withpublicsentimentbehindhimandareactionaryLowerHouse。You\'vegottokeepyourhandonthethrottle。“
“That\'spartofmybusiness，isn\'tit？“Hilaryasked，withoutturninghishead。
Mr。Flintdidnotanswer，buthiseyerestedagainonhiscounsel\'sface。
“I\'mthatkindofalawyer，“Hilarycontinued，apparentlymoretohimselfthantohiscompanion。“YoupaymeforthatsortofthingmorethanfortheworkIdointhecourts。Isn\'tthatso，Flint？“
Mr。Flintwasbaffled。Twoqualitieswhichwereverydeartohimhedesignatedassaneandsafe，andhehadhithertoregardedhiscounselasthesanestandsafestofmen。Thisremarkmadehimwonderseriouslywhetherthelawyer\'smindwerenotgivingaway；andifso，towhomwashetoturnatthiseleventhhour？NomanintheStateknewtheinsandoutsofconventionsasdidHilaryVane；and，intheraretimeswhentherehadbeencrises，hehadsatquietlyinthelittleroomofftheplatformasatthekeyboardofanorgan，andthedelegateshadrespondedtohistouch。
HilaryVanehadnamedthepresidentsofconventions，andthecommittees，andbypullingoutstopscouldgetsuchresolutionsashewished——orasMr。Flintwished。Butnow？
SuddenlyasuspicioninvadedMr。Flint\'strainofthought；herepeatedHilary\'swordsovertohimself。“I\'mthatkindofalawyer，“andanotherindividualityarosebeforethepresidentoftheNortheastern。Instinctsarecuriousthings。Ontheday，someyearsbefore，whenAustenVanehadbroughthispassintothisveryroomandlaiditdownonhisdesk，Mr。
Flinthadrecognizedamanwithwhomhewouldhavetodeal，——astrongermanthanHilary。SincethenhehadseenAusten\'shandinvariousdisturbingmatters，andnowitwasasifheheardAustenspeaking。“I\'mthatkindofalawyer。“NotHilaryVane，butHilaryVane\'ssonwasresponsibleforHilaryVane\'scondition——thisrecognitioncametoMr。
Flintinaflash。AustenhadsomehowaccomplishedtheincrediblefeatofmakingHilaryVaneashamed——andwhensuchmenasHilaryareashamed，theirusefulnessisover。Mr。Flinthadseenthethinghappenwithacertainkindoffinanciers，onedayaggressive，combative，andthenextbroken，querulousmen。Letamanceasetobelieveinwhatheisdoing，andhelosesforce。
ThepresidentoftheNortheasternusedalocomotiveaslongaspossible，butwhenitceasedtobeabletohaulatrainup-grade，hesentittothescrap-heap。Mr。Flintwasfarfrombeingabadman，butheworshippedpower，andhismottowasthesurvivalofthefittest。HedidnotyetfeelpityforHilary——forhewasangry。Onlycontempt，——contemptthatonewhohadbeenapowershouldcometothis。Todrawasomewhatfar-
fetchedparallel，aCaptainKiddoraCaesarBorgiawithaconsciencewouldneverhavebeenheardof。Mr。Flintdidnotcallitaconscience——
hehadahardernameforit。HehadtosendHilary，thusvitiated，intotheConventiontoconductthemostimportantbattlesincethefoundingoftheEmpire，andAustenVanewasresponsible。
Mr。Flinthadtocontrolhimself。Inspiteofhisfeelings，hesawthathemustdoso。Andyethecouldnotresistsaying:
“Igetagoodmanyrumourshere。Theytellmethattheremaybeanothercandidateinthefield——adarkhorse。“
“Who？“askedHilary。
“TherewasameetingintheroomofamannamedRedbrookduringtheLegislaturetopushthiscandidate，“saidMr。Flint，eyeinghiscounselsignificantly，“andnowyoungGaylordhasbeengoingquietlyaroundtheStateinhisinterest。“
SuddenlythelistlessfigureofHilaryVanestraightened，andtheoldlookwhichhadcommandedtherespectandobedienceofmenreturnedtohiseye。
“Youmeanmyson？“hedemanded。
“Yes，“saidMr。Flint；“theytellmethatwhenthetimecomes，your，sonwillbeacandidateonaplatformopposedtoourinterests。“
“Then，“saidHilary，“theytellyouadamnedlie。“
HilaryVanehadnotswornforaquarterofacentury，andyetitistobedoubtedifheeverspokemorenobly。Heputhishandsonthearmsofhischairandliftedhimselftohisfeet，wherehestoodforamoment，atellfiguretoberemembered。Mr。Flintremembereditformanyyears。HilaryVane\'slongcoatwasopen，andseemedinitselftoexpressthisstrangeandnew-foundvigourinitsflowinglines；hisheadwasthrownback，andalookonhisfacewhichMr。Flinthadneverseenthere。Hedrewfromaninnerpocketalongenvelope，andhishandtrembled，thoughwithseemingeagerness，ashehelditouttoMr。Flint。
“Here！“hesaid。
What\'sthis？“askedMr。Flint。Heevincednodesiretotakeit，butHilarypresseditonhim。
“Myresignationascounselforyourroad。“
ThepresidentoftheNortheastern，bewilderedbythissuddentransformation，staredattheenvelope。
“What？Now——to-day？“hesaid。
“No，“answeredHilary；“readit。You\'llseeittakeseffectthedayaftertheStateconvention。I\'mnotmuchuseanymoreyou\'vedoneyourbesttobringthathometome，andyou\'llneedanewmantodo——thekindofworkI\'vebeendoingforyoufortwenty-fiveyears。Butyoucan\'tgetanewmaninaday，andIsaidI\'dstaywithyou，andIkeepmyword。
I\'llgototheconvention；I\'lldomybestforyou，asIalwayshave。
ButIdon\'tlikeit，andafterthatI\'mthrough。AfterthatIbecomealawyer——lawyer，doyouunderstand？“
“Alawyer？“Mr。Flintrepeated。
“Yes，alawyer。EversincelastJune，whenIcameuphere，I\'verealizedwhatIwas。ABrushBascom，withabettereducationandmorebrains，butaBrushBascom——withthebrainsprostituted。WhilethingsweregoingalongsmoothlyIdidn\'tknow——youneverattemptedtotalktomethiswaybefore。Doyourememberhowyoutookholdofmethatday，andbeggedmetostay？Ido，andIstayed。Why？BecauseIwasafriendofyours。
Associationwithyoufortwenty-fiveyearshadgotundermyskin，andI
thoughtithadgotunderyours。“Hilarylethishandfall。To-dayyou\'vegivenmeanotionofwhatfriendshipis。You\'vegivenmeachancetoestimatemyselfonanewbasis，andI\'mmuchobligedtoyouforthat。
Ihaven\'tgotmanyyearsleft，butI\'mgladtohavefoundoutwhatmylifehasbeenworthbeforeIdie。“
Hebuttoneduphiscoatslowly，glaringatMr。Flintthewhilewithacourageandadefiancethatweresuperb。AndhehadpickeduphishatbeforeMr。Flintfoundhistongue。
“Youdon\'tmeanthat，Vane，“hecried。“MyGod，thinkwhatyou\'vesaid！“
Hilarypointedatthedeskwithashakingfinger。
“Ifthatwereascaffold，andaropewerearoundmyneck，I\'dsayitoveragain。AndIthankGodI\'vehadachancetosayittoyou。“Hepaused，clearedhisthroat，andcontinuedinavoicethatallatoncehadbecomeunemotionalandnatural。“I\'vethreetinboxesoftheprivatepapersyouwanted。Ididn\'tthinkof\'emto-day，butI\'llbring\'emuptoyoumyselfonThursday。“
Mr。FlintreflectedafterwardsthatwhatmadehimhelplessmusthavebeenthesuddenchangeinHilary\'smannertothecommonplace。ThepresidentoftheNortheasternstoodwherehewas，holdingtheenvelopeinhishand，apparentlywithoutthepowertomoveorspeak。Hewatchedthetallformofhischiefcounselgothroughthedoorway，andsomethingtoldhimthatthatexitwascoincidentwiththeendofanera。
Theendofaneraoffraud，ofself-deception，ofconditionsthatviolatedeverysacredprincipleoffreegovernmentwhichmenhadshedbloodtoobtain。
CHAPTERXXIV
ANADVENTUREOFVICTORIA\'S
Mrs。Pomfretwasaproudwoman，forshehadatlastobtainedtheconsentoftheliontoattendalunchparty。Shewouldhavelikedadinnermuchbetter，butbeggarsarenotchoosers，andsheseizedeagerlyonthelunch。ThetwodaysbeforetheconventionMr。CrewewastospendatLeith；havingcontinualconferences，ofcourse，receivingdelegations，anddiscussingwithprominentcitizenscertainofficeswhichwouldbeinhisgiftwhenhebecamegovernor。Also，therewasMr。Watling\'snominatingspeechtobegoneovercarefully，andMr。Crewe\'sownspeechofacceptancetobecomposed。Hehaditinhismind，andhehaddecidedthatitshouldhavetwoqualities:itshouldbebriefandforceful。
Gratitude，however，isoneofthenoblestqualitiesofman，andastatesmanshouldnotfailtorewardhisfaithfulworkersandadherents。
Asoneofthechiefestofthese，Mrs。Pomfretwasentitledtohighconsideration。Hencethecandidatehadconsentedtohavealunchgiveninhishonour，namingthedayandthehour；andMrs。Pomfret，believingthataprospectivegovernorshouldpossesssomeoftheperquisitesofroyalty，inarashmomentsubmittedforhisapprovalalistofguests。
ThisincludedtwodistinguishedforeignerswhowerestayingattheLeithInn，anEnglishmanandanAustrian，andanelderlyladyofveryconsiderablesocialimportancewhowasonavisittoMrs。Pomfret。
Mr。Crewehadgraciouslysanctionedthelist，buttookthelibertyofsuggestingasanadditiontoitthenameofMissVictoriaFlint，explainingoverthetelephonetoMrs。PomfretthathehadscarcelyseenVictoriaallsummer，andthathewantedparticularlytoseeher。Mrs。
PomfretdeclaredthatshehadonlyleftoutVictoriabecauseherpresencemightbeawkwardforbothofthem，butMr。Crewewavedthisasideasatrivialandfeminineobjection；soVictoriawasinvited，andanotheryoungmantobalancethetable。
Mrs。Pomfret，asmayhavebeensurmised，wasawomanoftaste，andhervillaatLeith，thoughsmall，hadaddedconsiderablytoherreputationforthisquality。PattersonPomfrethadbeenagentlemanwithredcheeksandanincome，whoincidentallyhadbeensatisfiedwithboth。Hehadnevertriedtoaddtotheincome，whichwaslargeenoughtopaytheduesoftheclubsthelistsofwhichhethoughtworthytoincludehisname；
largeenoughtopayhotelbillsinLondonandParisandatthebaths，andtofreetheservantsatcountryhouses；largeenoughtoclothehiswifeandhimself，andtoteachAlicethethreeessentialsofmusic，French，anddeportment。Ifthatmanisnotablewhohasmasteredonethingwell，PattersonPomfretwasanotableman:hehadmasteredthepossibilitiesofhisincome，andneverinanyyearhadhegonebeyonditbysomuchasasoledvinblancorapairofredsilkstockings。Whenhedied，heleftaworthyfinancialsuccessorinhiswife。
Mrs。Pomfret，knowingtheincome，afteranexhaustivesearchdecideduponLeithastheplacetobuildhervilla。Itmustbecreditedtoherforesightthat，whenshebuilt，shesawthefuturepossibilitiesoftheplace。Theproperpeoplehadstartedit。AnditmustbecreditedtohergeniusthatsheaddedtothesepossibilitiesofLeithbybringingtoitsuchfamiliesasshethoughtworthytoliveintheneighbourhood——
familieswhichincidentallyincreasedthevalueoftheland。HervillahadadecidedFrenchlook，andwassoamazinglytrimandneatandgenerallyshipshapeastobefit——foronlythedaintiestandmostdiscriminatingfeminineoccupation。Thehousewassmall，anditsmetamorphosisfromaplainwoodenfarm-househadbeenanachievementthatexcitedgeneraladmiration。Porcheshadbeenadded，andacoatofspotlesswhiterelievedbyanorangestripingsooriginalthatmanyenvied，butnonedaredtocopyit。Thestripingwentaroundthewhitechimneys，alongthecornice，underthewindowsandontherailingsoftheporch:therewerewindowboxesgaywithgeraniumsandabundantawningsstripedwhiteandred，tomatchtheflowers:ahigh，formalhemlockhedgehidthehousefromtheroad，throughwhichenteredablue-stonedrivethatcuttheclose-croppedlawnandmadeacircletothedoorway。Underthegreatmaplesonthelawnwereatea-table，rugs，andwickerchairs，andthehouseitselfwasfurnishedbyavarietyofthingsofadesignnottobeboughtintheUnitedStatesofAmerica:desks，photographframes，writing-sets，clocks，paperknives，flowerbaskets，magazineracks，cigaretteboxes，anddozensofotherarticlesfortheduplicatesofwhichonemighthavesearchedFifthAvenueinvain。
Mr。Crewewasalittlelate。Importantmatters，hesaid，haddetainedhimatthelastmoment，andheparticularlyenjoinedMrs。Pomfret\'sbutlertolistencarefullyforthetelephone，andtwiceduringlunchitwasannouncedthatMr。Crewewaswanted。Atfirsthewaspreoccupied，andansweredabsentlyacrossthetablethequestionsoftheEnglishmanandtheAustrianaboutAmericanpolitics，andtalkedtotheladyofsocialprominenceonhisrightnotatall；nortoMrs。Pomfret\'——whoexcusedhim。Beingaladyofdiscerningqualities，however，thehostessremarkedthatMr。Crewe\'seyeswanderedmorethanoncetothefarendoftheovaltable，whereVictoriasat，andevenMrs。Pomfretcouldnotdenytheattraction。Victoriaworeafilmygownofmauvethatinfinitelybecameher，andashadowyhatwhich，inthesemi-darknessofthediningroom，wasawondroussettingforhershapelyhead。TwiceshecaughtMr。
Crewe\'slookuponherandreturneditamusedlyfromunderherlashes，——
andoncehecouldhaveswornthatshewinkedperceptibly。Whatfiresshekindledinhisdeepnatureitisimpossibletosay。
Shehadkindledotherfiresatherside。ThetallyoungEnglishmanhadlostinterestinAmericanpolitics，hadturnedhisbackuponpoorAlicePomfret，andhadforgottentheworldingeneral。NotsotheAustrian，whowasontheothersideofAlice，andwhocouldnotseeVictoria。Mr。
Crewe，byhismannerandappearance，hadimpressedhimasapersonofimportance，andhewantedtoknowmore。Besides，hewishedtoimprovehisEnglish，andAlicehadbeentoldtospeakFrenchtohim。Byaluckychance，afterseveralblindattempts，heawakenedtheinterestofthepersonality。
“IhearyouarewhattheycallreforminAmerica？“
Thiswasnotthequestionthatopenedthegates。
“Idon\'tcaremuchfortheword，“answeredMr。Crewe，shortly；“Ipreferthewordprogressive。“
Discourseontheword“progressive“bytheAustrianalmostamonologue。
Buthewasfarfrombeingdiscouraged。
“AndMrs。Pomfrettellsmetheyplaymanydetestabletricksonyou——yes？“
“Tricks！“exclaimedMr。Crewe，thememoryofmanyrecentonesbeingfreshinhismind；“Ishouldsayso。Doyouknowwhatacaucusis？“
“Caucus——caucus？Itbringssomethingtomyhead。Ah，Ihaveseenapictureofit，insomeEnglishbook。Averyfunnypicture——itisinfun，yes？“
“Apicture？“saidMr。Crewe。“Impossible！“
“Butno，“saidtheAustrian，earnestly，withonefingertohistemples。
“Itisafunnypicture，Iknow。Icannotrecall。ButthewordcaucusI
remember。Thatisadrollword。“
“Perhaps，Baron，“saidVictoria，whohadbeenresistinganalmostuncontrollabledesiretolaugh，“youhavebeenreading\'AliceinWonderland。\'“
TheEnglishman，BeatriceChillingham，andsomeothersamongwhomwerenotMr。CreweandMrs。Pomfretgavewaytoanextremelypardonablemirth，inwhichthegood-naturedbaronjoined。
“Ach！“hecried。“Itisso，Ihaveseenitin\'AliceinWonderland。\'“
Herethepuzzledexpressionreturnedtohisface，Buttheyarebirds，aretheynot？“
Menwhosemindsareonseriousthingsareimpatient“oflevity，andMr。
Crewelookedatthebaronoutofcold，“No，“hesaid，“theyarenotbirds。“
Thisreplywasthesignalformorelaughter。
“Athousandpardons，“exclaimedthebaron。“ItisIwhoamsoignorant。
Youwillexcuseme——yes？“
Mr。Crewewasmollified。Thebaronwasaforeigner，hehadbeentheobjectoflaughter，andMr。Crewe\'schivalrousspiritresentedit。
“WhatwecallacaucusinthetownsofthisState，“hesaid，“isameetingofcitizensofonepartytodeterminewhotheircandidatesshallbe。Acaucusisaprimary。ThereisaverylooseprimarylawinthisState，purposelykeptloosebythepoliticiansoftheNortheasternRailroads，inorderthattheymayplaysuchtricksondecentmenastheyhavebeenplayingonme。“
AtthismentionoftheNortheasternRailroadstheladyonMr。Crewe\'sright，andsomeotherguests，gavestartledglancesatVictoria。Theyobservedwithsurprisethatsheseemedquiteunmoved。
“I\'lltellyouoneortwoofthethingsthoserailroadlobbyistshavedone，“saidMr。Crewe，hisindignationrisingwiththesubject，andstilladdressingthebaron。“Theyareafraidtoletthepeopleintothecaucuses，becausetheyknowI\'llgetthedelegates。NearlyeverywhereI
speaktothepeople，Igetthedelegates。Therailroadpoliticianssendwordtothetownringstoholdsnapcaucuses\'whentheyhearI\'mcomingintoatowntospeak，andthelocalpoliticiansgiveoutnoticesonlyadaybefore，andonlytothevoterstheywantinthecaucus。InHulltheotherday，outofapopulationoftwothousand，twentymenelectedfourdelegatesfortherailroadcandidate。“
“Itiscorruption！“criedthebaron，whohadnoideawhoVictoriawas，andaveryslimnotionofwhatMr。Crewewastalkingabout。
“Corruption！“saidMr。Crewe。“WhatcanyouexpectwhenarailroadownsaState？TheotherdayinBritain，wheretheyelectfourteendelegates，theeditorofaweeklynewspaperprintedfalseballotswithtwoofmymenatthetopandoneatthebottom，andelevenrailroadmeninthemiddle。
Fortunatelysomepersonwithsensediscoveredthefraudbeforeitwastoolate。“
“Youdon\'ttellme！“saidthebaron。
“AndeveryStateandfederaloffice-holderhasbeendistributingpassesforthelastthreeweeks。“
“Pass？“repeatedthebaron。“Youmeantheyfightwiththefist——so？Todistributeapass——so，“andthebaronstruckoutatanimaginaryenemy。
“ItistheAmericanlanguage。Ihavereaditintheprize-fight。Iamtoldtoreadtheprize-fightandthebase-ballgame。“
Mr。Crewethoughtitobviouslyuselesstocontinuethisconversation。
“Therailroad，“saidthebaron，“heisthemodernMachiavelli。“
“Isay，“Mr。Rangely，theEnglishman，remarkedtoVictoria，“thisisabitroughonyou，youknow。“
“Oh，I\'musedtoit，“shelaughed。
“Mr。Crewe，“saidMrs。Pomfret，tothetableatlarge，“deservestremendouscreditforthefighthehasmade，almostsingle-handed。OurgreatestneedinthiscountryiswhatyouhaveinEngland，Mr。Rangely，——
gentlemeninpolitics。Ourcountrygentlemen，likeMr。Crewe，arenowgoingtoassumetheirproperdutiesandresponsibilities。“ShelaidhernapkinonthetableandglancedatAliceasshecontinued:“Humphrey，I
shallhavetoappointyou，asusual，themanofthehouse。Willyoutakethegentlemenintothelibrary？“
Anotherprivilegeofcelebrityistothrowawayone\'scigar，andwalkoutofthesmokingroomifoneisbored。Mr。Crewewas，inasense，thehost。HeindicatedwithawaveofhishandthecigarsandcigaretteswhichMrs。Pomfrethadprovided，andstoodinathoughtfulmannerbeforetheemptyfireplace，withhishandsinhispockets，replyinginbriefsentencestothequestionsofMr。Chillinghamandtheothers。Totellthetruth，Mr。Crewewasbringingtobearallofhisextraordinaryconcentrationofminduponaproblemwithwhichhehadbeenoccupiedforsomeyearspast。Hewasnotaman，asweknow，totaketheimportantstepsoflifeinahurry，although；likethetrulygreat，hewascapableofmakinguphismindinaverybriefperiodwhenitwasnecessarytostrike。Hehadnow，afterweighingthequestionwiththeconsiderationwhichitsgravitydemanded，finallydecidedupondefiniteaction。
Whereuponhewalkedoutofthelibrary，leavingtheothergueststocommentastheywould；ornotcommentatall，forallhecared。Likeallmasterfulmen，hewentdirecttothethinghewanted。
Theladieswerehavingcoffeeunderthemaples，bythetea-table。AtsomelittledistancefromthegroupBeatriceChillinghamwaswalkingwithVictoria，anditwasevidentthatVictoriafoundMissChillingham\'sremarksamusing。TheseweretheonlytwointhepartywhodidnotobserveMr。Crewe\'sapproach。Mrs。Pomfret，whenshesawthedirectionwhichhewastaking，lostthethreadofherconversation，andtheladywhowasvisitingherworeasignificantexpression。
“Victoria，“saidMr。Crewe，“let\'sgoaroundtotheothersideofthehouseandlookattheview。“
VictoriastartedandturnedtohimfromMissChillingham，withthefunstillsparklinginhereyes。Itwas，perhaps，aswellforMr。Crewethathehadnotoverheardtheirconversation；butthismighthaveappliedtoanyman。
“Areyousureyoucansparethetime？“sheasked。
Mr。Crewelookedathiswatch——probablyfromhabit。
“Imadeitapointtoleavethesmokingroomearly，“hereplied。
“We\'reflattered——aren\'twe，Beatrice？“
MissChillinghamhadaturned-upnose，andafacewhichwasapttobeslightlyfreckledatthistimeofyear；forshecontemnedvanityandveils。Forfearofdoingheraninjustice，itmustbeaddedthatshewasnotatallbad-looking；quitethecontraryAllthatcanbenotedinthisbriefspaceisthatBeatriceChillinghamwasherself。SomepeopledeclaredthatshewaspossessedofthesevendevilsofhersexwhichMr。
Stocktonwroteabout。
“I\'mflattered，“shesaid，andwalkedofftowardsthetea-tablewithaglanceinwhichVictoriareadmanymeanings。Mr。Crewepaidnoattentioneithertowords，look，ordeparture。
“Iwanttotalktoyou，“hesaid。
“You\'vemadethatveryplain，atleast，“answeredVictoria。“Whydidyoupretenditwastheview？“
“Someconventionalitieshavetobeobserved，Isuppose，“hesaid。“Let\'sgoaroundthere。Itisagoodview。“
“Don\'tyouthinkthisisalittle——marked？“askedVictoria，surveyinghimwithherhandsbehindherback。
“Ican\'thelpitifitis，“saidMr。Crewe。“Everyhourisvaluabletome，andI\'vegottotakemychanceswhenIget\'em。Forsomereason，youhaven\'tbeendownatLeithmuchthissummer。Whydidn\'tyoutelephoneme，asIaskedyou。“
“BecauseI\'vesuddenlygrowndignified，Isuppose，“shesaid。“Andthen，ofcourse，Ihesitatedtointrudeuponsuchapersonofimportanceasyouhavebecome，Humphrey。“
“I\'vealwaysgottimetoseeyou，“hereplied。“Ialwaysshallhave。
ButIappreciateyourdelicacy。Thatsortofthingcountswithamanmorethanmostwomenknow。“
“ThenIamrepaid，“saidVictoria，“forexercisingself-control。“
“Ifinditalwayspays，“declaredMr。Crewe，andheglancedatherwithdistinctapproval。Theywereskirtingthehouse，andpresentlycameoutuponatinyterracewhereyoungRidleyhadmadeaminiatureItaliangardenwhentheElectricdividendshadincreased，andfromwhichtherewasavistaoftheshallowsoftheBlue。Herewasastonegarden-seatwhichMrs。PomfrethadbroughtfromItaly，andoverwhichshehadquarrelledwiththecustomsauthorities。Mr。Crewe，withawaveofhishand，signifiedhispleasurethattheyshouldsit，andclearedhisthroat。
“It\'sjustaswell，perhaps，“hebegan，“thatwehaven\'thadthechancetoseeeachotherearlier。Whenamanstartsoutuponanundertakingofthegravestimportance，whereinhestakeshisreputation，anundertakingforwhichheisridiculedandreviled，helikestohavehisjudgmentjustified。Helikestobevindicated，especiallyintheeyesof——peoplewhomhecaresabout。Personally，IneverhadanydoubtthatIshouldbethenextgovernor，becauseIknewinthebeginningthatIhadestimatedpublicsentimentcorrectly。Themanwhosucceedsinthisworldisthemanwhohassagacityenoughtogaugepublicsentimentaheadoftime，andthecouragetoactonhisbeliefs。“
Victorialookedathimsteadily。Hewasverycalm，andhehadonekneecrossedovertheother。
“Andthesagacity，“sheadded，“tochoosehislieutenantsinthefight。“
“Exactly，“saidMr。Crewe。“Ihavealwaysdeclared，Victoria，thatyouhadanaturalaptitudeforaffairs。“
“Ihaveheardmyfathersay，“shecontinued，stillmaintaininghersteadyglance，“thatHamiltonTootingisoneoftheshrewdestpoliticianshehaseverknown。Isn\'tMr。Tootingoneofyourright-handmen？“
“Hecouldhardlybecalledthat，“Mr。Crewereplied。“Infact，Ihaven\'tanywhatyoumightcall\'right-handmen。\'ThelargeproblemsIhavehadtodecideformyself。AsforTooting，he\'swellenoughinhisway；heunderstandsthetricksofthepoliticians——he\'splayed\'em，Iguess。
He\'suneducated；he\'smerelyaworker。Yousee，“hewenton，“onegreatreasonwhyI\'vebeensosuccessfulisbecauseI\'vebeenpractical。I\'vetakenmaterialsasI\'vefoundthem。“
“Isee，“answeredVictoria，turningherheadandgazingovertheterraceatthesparklingreachesoftheriver。SherememberedthecloseofthatwintryafternooninMr。Crewe\'shouseatthecapital，andshewasquitewillingtodohimexactjustice，andtobelievethathehadforgottenit——which，indeed，wasthecase。
“Iwanttosay，“hecontinued，“thatalthoughIhaveknownand——ahem——
admiredyouformanyyears，Victoria，whathasstruckmemostforciblyinyourfavourhasbeenyouropen-mindedness——especiallyonthegreatpoliticalquestionsthissummer。Ihavenoideahowmuchyouknowaboutthem，butonewouldnaturallyhaveexpectedyou，onaccountofyourfather，tobeprejudiced。Sometime，whenIhavemoreleisure，Ishallgointothem，fullywithyou。AndinthemeantimeI\'llhavemysecretarysendyouthecompletelistofmyspeechesuptodate，andIknowyouwillreadthemcarefully。“
“Youareverykind，Humphrey，“shesaid。
Absorbedinthepresentationofhissubjectwhichchancedtobehimself，Mr。Crewedidnotobservethatherlipswereparted，andthattherewerelittlecreasesaroundhereyes。
“Andsometime，“saidMr。Crewe，whenallthishasblownoveralittle，I
shallhaveatalkwithyourfather。Heundoubtedlyunderstandsthatthereisscarcelyanyquestionofmyelection。Heprobablyrealizes，too，thathehasbeeninthe——wrong，andthatrailroaddominationmustcease——hehasalreadymadeseveralconcessions，asyouknow。IwishyouwouldtellhimfrommethatwhenIamgovernor，Ishallmakeitapointtodiscussthewholematterwithhim，andthathewillfindinmenofoeofcorporations。JusticeiswhatIstandfor。Temperamentally，Iamtooconservative，Iamtoomuchofabusinessman，totamperwithvestedinterests。“
“Iwilltellhim，Humphrey，“saidVictoria。
Mr。Crewecoughed，andlookedathiswatchonce，more。“Andnow，havingmadethatclear，“hesaid，“andhavingonlyaquarterofanhourbeforeI
havetoleavetokeepanappointment，Iamgoingtotakeupanothersubject。AndIaskyoutobelieveitisnotdonelightly，orwithoutdueconsideration，butastheresultofsomeyearsofthought。“
Victoriaturnedtohimseriously——andyetthecreaseswerestillaroundhereyes。
“Icanwellbelieveit，Humphrey，“sheanswered。“But——haveyoutime？“
“Yes，“hesaid，“Ihavelearnedthevalueofminutes。“
“Butnotofhours，perhaps，“shereplied。
That，“saidMr。Crewe，indulgently，“isawoman\'spointofview。Amancannotdallythroughlife，andyourkindofwomanhasnouseforamanwhodallies。First，Iwillgiveyoumyideaofawoman。“
“Iamallattention，“saidVictoria。
“Well，“saidMr。Crewe，puttingthetopsofhisfingerstogether，“sheshouldexcelasahousewife。Ihaven\'tanyuseforyourso-calledintellectualwoman。Ofcourse，whatImeanbyahousewifeissomethingalittlelessbourgeoise；sheshouldbeabletoconductanestablishmentwiththeneatnessanddespatchandeconomyofawell-runhotel。Sheshouldbeabletoseatatableinstantlyandaccurately，givingtotheprominentgueststheprestigetheydeserve。NorhaveIanysympathywiththenotionthatmakesamarriedwomanalawuntoherself。Sheentersvoluntarilyintoanagreementwherebysheputsherselfunderthecontrolofherhusband:hisinterests，hiscareer，his——“
“Comfort？“suggestedVictoria。
“Yes，hiscomfort——allthatcomesfirst。Andhisestablishmentisconductedprimarily，andhisguestsselected，intheinterestsofhisfortunes。Ofcourse，thatgoeswithoutsayingofamaninhighplaceinpubliclife。Buthemustchooseforhiswifeawomanwhoisequaltoallthesethings，——tomymindherhighestachievement，——whomakesthemostofthepositionhegivesher，presidesathistableandentertainments，andreachessuchpeopleas，foranyreason，heisunabletoreach。Ihavetakenthepainstopointoutthesethingsinageneralway，forobviousreasons。Mygreatestdesireistobefair。“
“What，“askedVictoria，withhereyesontheriver，“whatarethewages？“
Mr。Crewelaughed。Incidentally，hethoughtherprofileveryfine。
“Idonotbelieveinflattery，“hesaid，“butIthinkIshouldaddtothequalificationspersonalityandasenseofhumour。IamquitesureI
couldneverlivewithawoman——whodidn\'thaveasenseofhumour。“
“Ishouldthinkitwouldbealittledifficult，“saidVictoria，“togetawomanwiththequalificationsyouenumerateandasenseofhumourthrownin。“
“Infinitelydifficult，“declaredMr。Crewe，withmoreardourthanhehadyetshown。“Ihavewaitedagoodmanyyears，Victoria。“
“Andyet，“shesaid，“youhavebeenhappy。Youhaveaperpetualsourceofenjoymentdeniedtosomepeople。“
“Whatisthat？“heasked。Itisnaturalforamantoliketohearthepointsofhischaracterdiscussedbyadiscerningwoman。
“Yourself，“saidVictoria，suddenlylookinghimfullintheface。“Youarecomplete，Humphrey，asitis。Youarehappilymarriedalready。
Besides，“sheadded，laughingalittle，“thequalitiesyouhavementioned——withtheexceptionofthesenseofhumour——arenotthoseofawife，butofabusinesspartneroftheoppositesex。Whatyoureallywantisabusinesspartnerwithsomethinglikeafifthinterest，andwhosenameshallnotappearintheagreement。“
Mr。Crewelaughedagain。Nevertheless，hewasalittlepuzzledoverthisremark。