“Brushdidseemamitedisgruntled，“heremarked。
SomewhattoAusten'sembarrassment，Mr。Mender'sfriendswerepushingforward。Onegrizzledveterantookhimbythehandandlookedthoughtfullyintohisface。
“I'velivedagoodmanyyears，“hesaid，butIneverheerd'emtalkeduptolikethat。You'remycandidateforgovernor。“
CHAPTERVI
ENTERTHELION
Itisafact，asShakespearehassoterselyhinted，thatfamesometimescomesinthelineofduty。Tobesure，ifAustenVanehadbeenTimothySmith，theMendercasemightnothavemadequitesomanyripplesinthepondwithwhichthisstoryisconcerned。Austendidwhathethoughtwasright。Intheopinionofmanyofhisfather'sfriendswhomhemetfromtimetotimehehadmadeagood-sizedstridetowardsruin，andtheydidnothesitatetotellhimso——Mr。Chipman，presidentoftheRiptonNationalBank；Mr。Greene，secretaryandtreasureroftheHawkeyePaperCompany，whosuggestedwithallkindnessthat，howevernobleitmaybe，itdoesn'tpaytotiltatwindmills。
“Notunlessyouwreckthewindmill，“answeredAusten。AnewandveryrevolutionarypointofviewtoMr。Greene，whorepeatedittoProfessorBrewer，urgingthatgentlemantotakeAusteninhand。Buttheprofessorburstoutlaughing，andputthesayingintocirculation。
Mr。SilasTredway，whoselistofdirectorshipsistoolongtoprint，alsoundertooktoremonstratewiththesonofhisoldfriend，HilaryVane。
Theyounglawyerheardhimrespectfully。Thecashiersofsomeofthesegentlemen，whowereyoungermen，venturedtosay——whenoutofhearing——
thattheyadmiredthechampionshipofMr。Mender，butitwouldneverdo。
Tothese，likewise，Austenlistenedgood-naturedlyenough，anddidnotattempttocontradictthem。Changingtheangleofthesun-dialdoesnotaffectthetimeofday。
ItwasnotsurprisingthatyoungTomGaylord，whenhecamebackfromNewYorkandheardofAusten'svictory，shouldhaverushedtohisofficeandcongratulatedhiminaroughbutheartyfashion。EventhoughAustenhadwonasuitagainsttheGaylordLumberCompany，youngTomwouldhavecongratulatedhim。OldTomwasadifferentmatter。OldTom，hobblingalongunderthemaples，squintedatAustenandhelduphisstick。
“Damnyou，you'realawyer，ain'tyou？“criedtheoldman。
Austen，wellusedtothiskindofgreetingfromMr。Gaylord，repliedthathedidn'tthinkhimselfmuchofone。
“Damnit，Isayyouare。SomedayImayhaveuseforyou，“saidoldTom，andwalkedon。
“No，“saidyoungTom，afterwards，inexplanationofthisextraordinaryattitudeofhisfather，“itisn'tprinciple。He'shadarowwiththeNortheasternaboutlumberrates，andswearshe'lllivetillhegetsevenwith'em。“
IfProfessorBrewer(Ripton'smostclear-sightedcitizen)hadmadethestatementthatHilaryVane——awaydowninthebottomofhisheart——wassecretlyproudofhisson，theprofessorwouldprobablyhavelosthisplaceontheschoolboard，thewaterboard，andthelibrarycommittee。
Thewaytheworldly-wiseprofessordiscoveredthesecretwasthis:hehadgonetoBradfordtohearthecase，forhehadbeenadearfriendofSarahAusten。TwodayslaterHilaryVanesawtheprofessoronhislittleporch，andlingered。Mr。Brewersuspectedwhy，ledcarefullyuptothesubject，andnotbeingdiscouraged——exceptbynumerousgrunts——gavethefatheranaccountoftheproceedingsbynomeansunfavourabletotheson。
Somepeoplelikeparegoric；theHonourableHilarytookhiswithoutunduesquirming，withnovisibleeffectstoAusten。
Lifeintheofficecontinued，withoneortwoexceptions，theeventenorofitsway。Apparently，sofarastheHonourableHilarywasconcerned，hissonhadneverbeentoBradford。ButtheHonourableBrushBascom，whenhecameonmysteriousbusinesstocallonthechiefcounsel，nolongersatonAusten'stable；thiswastrueofotherfeudallordsandretainers:ofMr。NatBillings，who，bytheway，didnotfilehisdraftafterall。NotthatMr。Billingswasn'tpolite，butheindulgednolongerinslowwinksattheexpenseofthehonourableRailroadCommission。
PerhapsthemostcuriousresultoftheMeadercasetoberemarkedinpassing，wasuponMr。HamiltonTooting。Austen，exceptwhenhefledtothehills，wasusuallythelasttoleavetheoffice，Mr。Tootingoftenthefirst。ButoneeveningMr。Tootingwaiteduntiltheforcehadgone，andenteredAusten'sroomwithhishandoutstretched。
“Putherthere，Aust，“hesaid。
Austenputherthere。
“I'vebeenexercisin'mythinkersomethelastfewmonths，“observedMr。
Tooting，seatinghimselfonthedesk。
“Aren'tyouafraidofnervousprostration，Ham？“
“Say，“exclaimedMr。Tooting，withavexedlaugh，“whyareyoualwaysjollyingme？Youain'tanyolderthanIam。“
“I'mnotasold，Ham。Idon'tbegintohaveyourknowledgeoftheworld。“
“Comeoff，“saidMr。Tooting，whodidn'tknowexactlyhowtotakethiscompliment。“Icameinheretohaveaserioustalk。I'vebeenthinkingitover，andIdon'tknowbutwhatyoudidright。“
“Well，Ham，ifyoudon'tknow，Idon'tknowhowIamtoconvinceyou。“
“Holdon。Don'tgotwistin'aroundthatway——youmakemedizzy。“Heloweredhisvoiceconfidentially，althoughtherewasnoonewithinfivewallsofthem。“Iknowthedifferencebetweenagoldbrickandagovernmentbond，anyhow。Ibelievebuckingtherailroad'sgoingtopayinayearorso。Igotontoitassoonasyoudid，Iguess，butwhenafeller'swornthecollaraslongasIhaveandhastolive，itain'teasytocutloose——youunderstand。“
“Iunderstand，“answeredAusten，gravely。
“IthoughtI'dletyouknowIdidn'ttakeanytoomuchtroublewithMeaderlastsummertogettheoldbirdtoacceptacompromise。“
“Thatwasgoodofyou，Ham。“
“Iknewwhatyouwasupto，“saidMr。Tooting，givingAustenafriendlypokewithhiscigar。
“Youshowedyourusualacumen，Mr。Tooting，“saidAusten，asherosetoputonhiscoat。Mr。Tootingregardedhimuneasily。
“You'readeepone，Aust，“hedeclared；“somedayyouand，memustgettogether。“
Mr。Billings'desireforultimatejusticenotbeinganystrongerthanAustensuspected，induetimeMr。Meadergothismoney。Hiscounselwouldhavenoneofit，——adecisionnotatallpractical，andonthewholedisappointing。Therewas，tobesure，aninfluxintoAusten'sofficeofpeoplewhohadbeenrunoverinthepast，anditwasAusten'sunhappydutytopointouttothesethattheyhadsigned(attherequestofvariousMr。Tootings)littleslipsofpaperwhicharetechnicallyknownasreleases。Butthefirsthintofareallymaterialadvantagetobederivedfromhiscaseagainsttherailroadcamefromawhollyunexpectedsource，intheshapeofaletterinthemailoneAugustmorning。
“DEARSIR:HavingremarkedwithsomeinteresttheverdictforaclientofyoursagainsttheUnitedNortheasternRailroads，Iwishyouwouldcallandseemeatyourearliestconvenience。
Yourstruly，“HUMPHREYCREWE。“
Althoughhiscuriositywasaroused，Austenwasoftwomindswhethertoanswerthissummons，thetruthbeingthatMr。Crewehadnotmade，ontheoccasionsonwhichtheyhadhadintercourse，themostfavourableofimpressions。However，itisnotforthestrugglinglawyertoscornanyhonourablebrief，especiallyfromagentleman。ofstocksandbondsandvariedinterestslikeMr。Crewe，withwhomcontentionsofmagnitudeareinevitablyassociated。AshespunalongbehindPepperontheLeithroadthatclimbedWillowBrookontheafternoonhehadmadetheappointment，Austensmiledtohimselfoverhisanticipations，andyet——beinghuman-
lethisfancyplay。
ThebroadacresofWedderburnstretchedacrossmanyhighways，butthemanor-house(asithadbeencalled)stoodonaneminencewhenceonecouldlookformilesdowntheYaleoftheBlue。Ithadoncebeenafarmhouse，butgraduallythetailhadbeguntowagthedog，andthefarmhousebecame，liketheoriginalstoneoutofwhichtheIrishmanmadethesoup，difficulttofind。Oncetheedificehadbeenontheroad，buttheroadhadlongagobeenremovedtoarespectfuldistance，andAustenenteredbetweentwomassivepillarsbuiltofgraniteblocksonamusicalgraveldrive。
HumphreyCrewewasontheporch，hishandsinhispockets，asAustendroveup。
“Hello，“hesaid，inavoiceprobablymeanttobehospitable，butwhichhadaperemptoryring，“don'tstandonceremony。Hitchyourbeastandcomealongin。“
Having，asitwere，superintendedthesecuringofPepper，Mr。Creweledthewaythroughthehousetothestudy，pausingonceortwicetopointouttoAustenacarvedivoryelephantprocuredatgreatexpenseinChina，andapieceoftapestryequallydifficultofpurchase。Thestudyitselfwasnomereloungingplaceofamanofpleasure，butsoberandformidablebookswerescatteredthroughthecases:“Turner'sEvolutionoftheRailroad，““Graham'sPracticalForestry，““Eldridge'sFinance“；whilewholeshelvesofmodernhusbandryproclaimedthatMr。HumphreyCrewewasnoamateurfarmer。Therewaslikewiseashelfdevotedtoroadbuilding，severaltoknotty-lookingpamphlets，andhalfawallofneatlylabelledpigeonholes。Fordecoration，therewasanoargarnishedwitharibbon，andseveralgroupsofcollegeundergraduates，mostlyeitherinpuffedtiesorscantyattire，andalwaysprominentinthesegroups，andalwaysunmistakable，wasMr。HumphreyCrewehimself。
Mr。Crewewassilentawhile，thatthisformidablearrayofthingsmightmaketheproperimpressionuponhisvisitor。
“Itwasluckyyoucameto-day，Vane，“hesaidatlength。“IamdueinNewYorkto-morrowforadirectors'meeting，andIhaveaconferenceinChicagowithaboardoftrusteesofwhichIamamemberonthethird。
Lookingatmyarrayofpamphlets，eh？I'vebeenyearsincollectingthem，——eversinceIleftcollege。Thoseonrailroadsoughtespeciallytointerestyou——I'msomewhatofarailroadmanmyself。“
“Ididn'tknowthat，“saidAusten。
“Hadtwoorthreeblocksofstockinsubsidiarylinesthathadtobelookedafter。Itwasanuisanceatfirst，“saidMr。Crewe，“butIdidn'tshirkit。ImadeupmymindI'dgettothebottomoftherailroadproblem，andIdid。It'snousedoingathingatallunlessyoudoitwell。“Mr。Crewe，hishandsstillinhispockets，facedAustensmilingly。“NowI'llbetyoudidn'tknowIwasarailroadmanuntilyoucameinhere。Totellthetruth，itwasaboutarailroadmatterthatI
sentforyou。“
Mr。Crewelitacigar，buthedidnotofferonetoAusten，ashehadtoMr。Tooting。“Iwantedtoseewhatyouwerelike，“hecontinued，withrefreshingfrankness。“Ofcourse，I'dseenyouontheroad。Butyoucangetmoreofanideaofamanbytalkin'tohim，youknow。“
“Youcanifhe'lltalk，“saidAusten，whowasbeginningtoenjoyhisvisit。
Mr。Creweglancedathimkeenly。Fewmenarefoolsatallpointsofthecompass，andMr。Crewewasfarfromthis。
“YoudidwellinthatlittlecaseyouhadagainsttheNortheastern。I
heardaboutit。“
“Ididmybest，“answeredAusten，andhesmiledagain。
“Assomegreatmanhasremarked，“observedMr。Crewe，“itisn'twhatwedo，it'showwedoit。Takepainsoverthesmallercases，andthelargercaseswillcomeofthemselves，eh？“
“Iliveinhope，“saidAusten，wonderinghowsoonthislargercasewasgoingtounfolditself。
“Letmesee，“saidMr。Crewe，“isn'tyourfatherthechiefattorneyinthisStatefortheNortheastern？Howdoyouhappentobeontheotherside？“
“Bythehappyaccidentofobtainingaclient，“saidAusten。
Mr。Creweglancedathimagain。Inspiteofhimself，respectwasgrowinginhim。Hehadexpectedtofindacertainamountofeagernessandsubserviency——thoughveiled；herewasamanofdifferentcalibrethanhelookedforinRipton。
“Thefactis，“hedeclared，“IhaveagrievanceagainsttheNortheasternRailroads，andIhavemadeupmymindthatyouarethemanforme。“
“Youmayhavereasontoregretyourchoice，“Austensuggested。
“Ithinknot，“repliedMr。Crewe，promptly；“IbelieveIknowamanwhenIseeone，andyouinspiremewithconfidence。Thismatterwillhaveadoubleinterestforyou，asIunderstandyouarefondofhorses。“
“Horses？“
“Yes，“Mr。Crewecontinued，gainingalittleheatattheword，“Iboughtthefinest-lookin'pairyoueversawinNewYorkthisspring，——all-aroundaction，manners，conformation，everything；I'llshow'emtoyou。Oneof'em'sallrightnow；thisconfoundedrailroadinjuredtheothergettin'
himuphere。I'veputinaclaim。Theysaytheydidn't，mymansaystheydid。Hetellsmethehorsewasthrownviolentlyagainstthesidesofthecarseveraltimes。He'sinternallyinjured。Itold'emI'dsue'em，andI'vedecidedthatyouarethemantotakethecase——onconditions。“
Austen'ssenseofhumoursavedhim，——andMr。HumphreyCrewehadbeguntointeresthim。Heroseandwalkedtothewindowandlookedoutforafewmomentsovertheflowergardenbeforehereplied:——
“Onwhatconditions？“
“Well，“saidMr。Crewe，“frankly，Idon'twanttopaymorethanthehorseisworth，andit'sbusinesstosettleonthefeeincaseyouwin。I
thought——“
“Youthought，“saidAusten，“thatImightnotchargeasmuchasthenextman。“
“Well，“saidMr。Crewe，“Iknewthatifyoutookthecase，you'dfightitthrough，andIwanttogetevenwith'em。TheirclaimagenthadtheimpudencetosuggestthatthehorsehadbeendoctoredbythedealerinNewYork。TotellmethatI，whohavebeenbuyinghorsesallmylife，wasfooled。Theveterinaryswearstheanimalisruptured。I'macitizenofAvalonCounty，thoughmanypeoplecallmeasummerresident；I'vedonebusinesshereandhelpedimprovetheneighbourhoodforyears。ItwillbemypolicytoemployhometalentAvalonCountylawyers，forinstance。I
maysay，withoutindiscretion，thatIintendfromnowontotakeevenagreaterinterestinpublicaffairs。Thetroubleisinthiscountrythatmeninmypositiondonotfeeltheirresponsibilities。“
“Publicspiritisararevirtue，“Austenremarked，seeingthathewasexpectedtosaysomething。“AvalonCountyappreciatesthecompliment，——
ifImaybepermittedtoanswerforit。“
“Iwanttodotherightthing，“saidMr。Crewe。“Infact，IhavealmostmadeupmymindtogototheLegislaturethisyear。Iknowitwouldbeasacrificeoftime，inasense，andallthat，but——“Hepaused，andlookedatAusten。
“TheLegislatureneedsleavening。“
“Precisely，“exclaimedMr。Crewe，“andwhenIlookaroundmeandseethethingscryingtobedoneinthisState，andnolawmakerwithsenseandforesightenoughtoproposethem，itmakesmesick。Now，forinstance，“
hecontinued，androsewithanevidentattempttoassaulttheforestryshelves。ButAustenrosetoo。
“I'dliketogooverthatwithyou，Mr。Crewe，“saidhe，“butIhavetobebackinRipton。“
“Howaboutmycase？“hishostdemanded，withareturntohisformerabruptness。
“Whataboutit？“askedAusten。
“Areyougoingtotakeit？“
“Strugglinglawyersdon'trefusebusiness。“
“Well，“saidMr。Crewe，“that'ssensible。Butwhatareyougoingtocharge？“
“Now，“saidAusten，withentiregoodhumour，“whenyougetonthatground，youaredealingnolongerwithonevoraciousunit，butwithawholeprofession，——aprofession，youwillallowmetoadd，whichindignityissecondtonone。Inaccordancewiththepracticeofthebestmeninthatprofession，IwillchargeyouwhatIbelieveisfair——notwhatIthinkyouareableandwillingtopay。Shouldyoudisputethebill，Iwillnotstooptoquarrelwithyou，but，trytoliveonbreadandbutterawhilelonger。“
Mr。Crewewassilentforamoment。Itwouldnotbeexacttosayuncomfortable，foritistobedoubtedwhetherheevergotso。Buthefeltdimlythattherelationsofpatronandpatronizedwerebecomingsomewhatjumbled。
“Allright，“saidhe，“Iguesswecanletitgoatthat。Hello！Whatthedeucearethosewomendoinghereagain？“
ThisirrelevantexclamationwascausedbythesightthroughtheopenFrenchwindow——ofthreeladiesintheflowergarden，twoofwhomwerebendingoverthebeds。Thethird，uponwhosefigureAusten'seyeswereriveted，wasseatedonastonebenchsetinarecessofpines，andlookingoffintotheYaleoftheBlue。Withnogreateagerness，butwithoutapologytoAusten，Mr。Crewesteppedoutofthewindowandapproachedthem；andasthiswasasgoodawayasanytohishorseandbuggy，Austenfollowed。Oneoftheladiesstraightenedattheirappearance，scrutinizedthemthroughtheglassessheheldinherhand，andAustenimmediatelyrecognizedherastheirreproachableMrs。Pomfret。
“Wedidn'tmeantodisturbyou，Humphrey，“shesaid。“Weknewyouwouldbeengagedinbusiness，butItoldAliceaswedrovebyIcouldnotresiststoppingforonemorelookatyourCanterburybells。Iknewyouwouldn'tmind，butyoumustn'tleaveyour——affairs，——notforaninstant。“
Theword“affairs“wasaccompaniedbyabriefinspectionofAustenVane。
“That'sallright，“answeredMr。Crewe；“itdoesn'tcostanythingtolookatflowers，that'swhatthey'refor。Costsomethingtoput'emin。I
gotthatlittlefellerRidleytolay'emout——IbelieveItoldyou。He'sjustbeginning。Hello，Alice。“
“Ithinkhediditverywell，Humphrey，“saidMissPomfret。
“Passably，“saidMr。Crewe。“ItoldhimwhatIwantedanddrewaroughsketchofthegardenandthecolourscheme。“
“Thenyoudidit，andnotMr。Ridley。Irathersuspectedit，“saidMrs。
Pomfret；“youhavesuchclearandpracticalideasaboutthings，Humphrey。“
“It'ssimpleenough，“saidMr。Crewe，deprecatingly，“afteryou'veseenafewhundredgardensandgetthegeneralunderlyingprinciple。“
“It'sveryclever，“Alicemurmured。
“Notatall。Alittleapplicationwilldowonders。Acertaindefinitecolourmassedhere，anotherdefinitecolourthere，andsoforth。“
Mr。CrewespokeasthoughAlice'spraiseirritatedhimslightly。Hewavedhishandtoindicatetheschemeingeneral，andglancedatVictoriaonthestonebench。Fromher(Austenthought)seemedtoemanateasilentbutmirthfulcriticism，althoughshecontinuedtogazepersistentlydownthevalley，apparentlyunawareoftheirvoices。Mr。Crewelookedasifhewouldhavelikedtoreachher，butthetwoladiesfilledthenarrowpath，andMrs。Pomfretputherfingersonhissleeve。
“Humphrey，youmustexplainittous。IamsointerestedingardensI'mgoingtohaveoneifElectricsincreasetheirdividend。“
Mr。Crewebegan，withnogreatardour，todescantonthetheoryofplanting，andAustenresolvedtoremainpocketedandignorednolonger。
HeretracedhisstepsandmadehiswayrapidlybyanotherpathtowardsVictoria，whoturnedherheadathisapproach，androse。Heacknowledgedaninwardagitationwiththevisioninhiseyeofthetall，whitefigureagainstthepines，cladwiththeartwhich，inmysterioussimplicity，effacesitself。
“Iwaswondering，“shesaid，asshegavehimherhand，“howlongitwouldbebeforeyouspoketome。“
“Yougavemenochance，“saidAusten，quickly。
“Doyoudeserveone？“sheasked。
Beforehecouldanswer，Mr。Crewe'sexplanationofhistheorieshadcomelamelytoahalt。AustenwasawareoftherenewedscrutinyofMrs。
Pomfret，andthenMr。Crewe，whomnosocialmanaclescouldshackle，hadbrokenpastherandmadehiswaytothem。HecontinuedtotreatthegroundonwhichAustenwasstandingasunoccupied。
“Hello，Victoria，“hesaid，“youdon'tknowanythingaboutgardens，doyou？“
“Idon'tbelieveyoudoeither，“wasVictoria'ssurprisingreply。
Mr。Crewelaughedatthispleasantry。
“Howareyougoingtoproveit？“hedemanded。
“Bycomparingwhatyou'vedonewithFreddieRidley'soriginalplan，“saidVictoria。
Mr。Crewewasnettled。
“Ridleyhasalottolearn，“heretorted。“Hehadnoconceptionofwhatwasappropriatehere。“
“Freddiewasweak，“saidVictoria，butheneededthemoney。Don'tyouknowMr。Vane？“
“Yes，“saidMr。Crewe，shortly，“I'vebeentalkingtohim——onbusiness。“
“Oh，“saidVictoria，“Ihadnomeansofknowing。Mrs。Pomfret，IwanttointroduceMr。Vane，andMissPomfret，Mr。Vane。“
Mrs。Pomfret，whohadbeenhoveringontheoutskirtsofthisduel，inclinedherheadthefractionofaninch，butAliceputoutherhandwithhersweetestmanner。
“Whendidyouarrive？“sheasked。
“Well，thefactis，Ihaven'tarrivedyet，“saidAusten。
“Notarrived“exclaimedAlice，withapuzzledglanceintoVictoria'slaughingeyes。
“PerhapsHumphreywillhelpyoualong，“Victoriasuggested，turningtohim。“Hemightbeinducedtogiveyouhiscelebratedgrievanceabouthishorses。“
“Ihavegivenittohim，“saidMr。Crewe，briefly。
“Cheerup，Mr。Vane，yourfortuneismade，“saidVictoria。
“Victoria，“saidMrs。Pomfret，inhermostimperialvoice，“weoughttobegoinginstantly，orweshan'thavetimetodropyouattheHammonds'。“
“I'lltakeyouoverinthenewmotorcar，“saidMr。Crewe，withhisairofconferringaspecialtrain。
“Howmuchisgasolinebythegallon？“inquiredVictoria。
“Ididafavouronceforthelocalmanager，andgetaspecialprice，“
saidMr。Crewe。
“Humphrey，“saidMrs。Pomfret，takinghishand，“don'tforgetyouarecomingtodinnerto-night。Fourpeoplegaveoutatthelastminute，andtherewillbejustAliceandmyself。I'veaskedoldMr。Fitzhugh。“
“Allright，“saidMr。Crewe，“I'llhavethemotorcarbroughtaround。“
Thelatterpartofthisremarkwas，needlesstosay，addressedtoVictoria。
“It'sawfullygoodofyou，Humphrey，“sheanswered，“buttheHammondsareontheroadtoRipton，andIamgoingtoaskMr。Vanetodrivemedowntherebehindthatadorablehorseofhis。“
Thisannouncementproducedavariedeffectuponthosewhoheardit，althoughallexperiencedsurprise。Mrs。Pomfret，inadditiontoanangerwhichshecontrolledonlyastheresultoflongpractice，washorrified，andoncemorelevelledherglassesatAusten。
“Ithink，Victoria，youhadbettercomewithus，“shesaid。“Weshallhaveplentyoftime，ifwehurry。“
BythistimeAustenhadrecoveredhisbreath。
“I'llbereadyinaninstant，“hesaid，andmadebriefbutpoliteadieustothethreeothers。
“Good-by，“saidAlice，vaguely。
“Letmeknowwhenanythingdevelops，“saidMr。Crewe，withhisbacktohisattorney。
AustenfoundVictoria，hercolourheightenedalittle，waitingforhimbythedriveway。ThePomfretshadjustdrivenoff，andMr。Crewewasnowheretobeseen。
“Idonotknowwhatyouwillthinkofmefortakingthisforgranted，Mr。
Vane，“shesaidashetookhisseatbesideher，“butIcouldn'tresistthechanceofdrivingbehindyourhorse。“
“Irealized，“heansweredsmilingly，“thatPepperwastheattraction，andIhavemorereasonthanevertobegratefultohim。“
SheglancedcovertlyattheVaneprofile，atthesure，restraininghandsonthereinswhichgovernedwithsoniceatouchthemettleofthehorse。
Hissilencegavehertimetoanalyzeagainherinterestinthisman，whichreneweditselfateverymeeting。Inthegardenshehadbeenstruckbythesuperiorityofanaturewhichsetatnaughtwhathadbeen，tosomesmallerspirits，adifficultsituation。Sherecognizedthisqualityasinborn，but，notknowingofSarahAusten，shewonderedwherehegotit。
Nowitwasthefactthatherefrainedfromcommentthatpleasedhermost。
“DidHumphreyactuallysendforyoutotakeuptheinjuredhorsecase？“
sheasked。
Austenflushed。
“I'mafraidhedid。Youseemtoknowallaboutit，“headded。
“KnowallaboutitEveryonewithintwentymilesofLeithknowsaboutit。I'msurethehorsewasdoctoredwhenheboughthim。“
“Takecare，youmaybecalledasawitness。“
“WhatIwanttoknowis，whyyouacceptedsuchasillycase，“saidVictoria。
Austenlookedquizzicallyintoherupturnedface，andshedroppedhereyes。
“That'sexactlywhatIshouldhaveaskedmyself，——afterawhile，“hesaid。
Shelaughedwithadeliciousunderstandingof“afterawhile。“
“Isupposeyouthinkmefrightfullyforward，“shesaid，inaloweredvoice，“invitingmyselftodriveandaskingyousuchaquestionwhenI
scarcelyknowyou。ButIjustcouldn'tgoonwithMrs。Pomfret，——sheirritatedmeso，——andmyfrontteetharetoovaluabletodrivewithHumphreyCrewe。“
Austensmiled，andsecretlyagreedwithher。
“Ishouldhaveoffered，ifIhaddared，“hesaid。
“Dared！Ididn'tknowthatwasyourfailing。Idon'tbelieveyoueventhoughtofit。“
“Nevertheless，theideaoccurredtome，andterrifiedme，“saidAusten。
“Why？“sheasked，turninguponhimsuddenly。“Whydiditterrifyyou？“
“Ishouldhavebeenpresuminguponanaccidentalacquaintance，whichI
hadnomeansofknowingyouwishedtocontinue，“hereplied，staringathishorse'shead。
“AndI？“Victoriaasked。“Presumptionmultipliestenfoldinawoman，doesn'tit？“
“Awomanconfers，“saidAusten。
Shesmiled，butwithalightinhereyes。Thissimplesentenceseemedtorevealyetmoreofaninnermandifferentfromsomeofthosewithwhomherlifehadbeencast。ItwasanAmericanpointofview——thischoosingtobelievethatthewomanconferred。AfterofferingherselfashispassengerVictoria，too，hadhadamomentofterror:theactionhadbeentheresultofanimpulsewhichshedidnotcaretoattempttodefine。
Shechangedthesubject。
“YouhavebeenwinninglaurelssinceIsawyoulastsummer，“shesaid。
“IhearincidentallyyouhavemadeourfriendZebMeaderarichman。“
“Asrichesgo，inthetownofMercer，“Austenlaughed。“Asformylaurels，theyhavenotyetbeguntochafe。“
Herewasatopichewouldhaveavoided，andyethewascurioustodiscoverwhatherattitudewouldbe。Hehadantagonizedherfather，andthefactthathewasthesonofHilaryVanehadgivenhisantagonismprominence。
“IamgladyoudiditforZeb。“
“Ishouldhavedoneitforanybody——muchasIlikeZeb，“herepliedbriefly。
Sheglancedathim。
“Itwas——courageousofyou，“shesaid。
“Ihaveneverlookeduponitinthatlight，“heanswered。“MayIaskyouhowyouheardofit？“
Shecoloured，butfacedthequestion。
“Ihearditfrommyfather，atfirst，andItookaninterest——onZebMeader'saccount，“sheaddedhastily。
Austenwassilent。
“Ofcourse，“shecontinued，“Ifeltalittlelikeboastingofan'accidentalacquaintance'withthemanwhosavedZebMeader'slife。“
Austenlaughed。ThenhedrewPepperdowntoawalk，andturnedtoher。
“Thepowerofmakingitmorethananaccidentalacquaintancelieswithyou，“hesaidquietly。
“Ihavealwayshadanideathataggressionwasaman'sprerogative，“
Victoriaansweredlightly。“AndseeingthatyouhavenotappearedatFairviewforsomethingoverayear，Icanonlyconcludethatyoudonotchoosetoexerciseitinthiscase。“
Austenwasinacruelquandary。
“Ididwishtocome，“heansweredsimply，“but——thefactthatIhavehadadisagreementwithyourfatherhas——madeitdifficult。“
“Nonsense“exclaimedVictoria；“justbecauseyouhavewonasuitagainsthisrailroad。Youdon'tknowmyfather，Mr。Vane。Heisn'tthekindofmanwithwhomthatwouldmakeanydifference。Yououghttotalkitoverwithhim。HethinksyouwerefoolishtotakeZebMeader'sside。“
“Andyou？“Austendemandedquickly。
“Yousee，I'mawoman，“saidVictoria，“andI'mprejudiced——forZebMeader。Womenarealwaysprejudiced，——that'sourtrouble。ItseemedtomethatZebwasold，andunfortunate，andoughttobecompensated，sinceheisunabletowork。ButofcourseIsupposeIcan'tbeexpectedtounderstand。“
Itwastruethatshecouldnotbeexpectedtounderstand。HemightnottellherthathisdifferencewithMr。Flintwasnotamerematteroftakingasmalldamagesuitagainsthisrailroad，butafundamentalone。
AndAustenrecognizedthatthejustificationofhisattitudemeantanarraignmentofVictoria'sfather。
“Iwishyoumightknowmyfatherbetter，Mr。Vane，“shewenton，“IwishyoumightknowhimasIknowhim，ifitwerepossible。Yousee，Ihavebeenhisconstantcompanionallmylife，andIthinkveryfewpeopleunderstandhimasIdo，andrealizehisfinequalities。Hemakesnoattempttoshowhisbestsidetotheworld。Hislifehasbeenspentinfighting，andIamafraidheisapttomeettheworldonthatfooting。
Heisamanofsuchdevotiontohisdutythatherarelyhasadaytohimself，andIhaveknownhimtositupuntilthesmallhoursofthemorningtosettlesomelittlematterofjustice。IdonotthinkIambetrayinghisconfidencewhenIsaythatheisimpressedwithyourability，andthathelikedyourmannertheonlytimeheevertalkedtoyou。Hebelievesthatyouhavegot，insomeway，awrongideaofwhatheistryingtodo。Whydon'tyoucomeupandtalktohimagain？“
“Iamafraidyourkindnessleadsyoutooverratemyimportance，“Austenreplied，withmingledfeelings。Victoria'sconfidenceinherfathermadethesituationallthemorehopeless。
“I'msureIdon't，“sheansweredquickly；“eversince——eversinceIfirstlaideyesuponyouIhavehadakindofbeliefinyou。“
“Belief？“heechoed。
“Yes，“shesaid，“beliefthat——thatyouhadafuture。Ican'tdescribeit，“shecontinued，thecolourcomingintoherfaceagain；“onefeelsthatwayaboutsomepeoplewithoutbeingabletoputthefeelingintowords。Andhaveafeeling，too，thatIshouldlikeyoutobefriendswithmyfather。“
Neitherofthem，perhaps，realizedtherapiditywithwhich“accidentalacquaintance“hadmeltedintointimacy。Austen'sbloodranfaster，butitwascharacteristicofhimthathetriedtosteadyhimself，forhewasaVane。Hehadthoughtofhermanytimesduringthepastyear，butgraduallytheintensityoftheimpressionhadfadeduntilithadbeensounexpectedlyandvividlyrenewedto-day。Hewasnotamantolosehishead，andthedifficultiesofthesituationmadehimpauseandchoosehiswords，whilehedarednotsomuchasglanceatherasshesatinthesunlightbesidehim。
“Ishouldliketobefriendswithyourfather，“heansweredgravely，——thestatementbeingsoliterallytrueastohaveitspatheticallyhumorousaspect。
“I'lltellhimso，Mr。Vane，“shesaid。
Austenturned，withaseriousnessthatdismayedher。
“Imustaskyouasafavournottodothat，“hesaid。
“Why？“sheasked。
“Inthefirstplace，“heansweredquietly，“IcannotaffordtohaveMr。
Flintmisunderstandmymotives。AndIoughtnottomisleadyou，“hewenton。“Inperiodsofpubliccontroversy，suchaswearepassingthroughatpresent，sometimesmen'sviewsdiffersosharplyastomakeintercourseimpossible。YourfatherandImightnotagree——politically，letussay。
Forinstance，“headded，withevidenthesitation，“myfatherandI
disagree。“
Victoriawassilent。AndpresentlytheycametoawirefenceovergrownwithVirginiacreeper，whichdividedtheshadedroadfromawidelawn。
“HereweareattheHammonds'，and——thankyou，“shesaid。
Anyreplyhemighthavemadewasforestalled。Theinsistentandintoleranthornofanautomobile，followednowbythescreamofthegears，brokethestillnessofthecountry-side，andafamiliarvoicecriedout——
“Doyouwantthewholeroad？“
AustenturnedintotheHammonds'driveasthebulldognoseofamotorforgedahead，andMr。Creweswunginthedriver'sseat。
“Hello，Victoria，“heshouted，“youpeopleoughttohaveear-trumpets。“
Thecarswerved，narrowlymissedawateringfountainwheretheword“Peace“wasinscribed，andshotdownthehill。
“Thatmanner，“saidVictoria，asshejumpedoutofthebuggy，“isavaluablepoliticalasset。“
“Doeshereallyintendtogointopolitics？“Austenaskedcuriously。
“'Intend'isamildwordappliedtoHumphrey，“sheanswered；
“'determined'wouldsuithimbetter。Accordingtohim，thereisnogamethatcannotbewonbydynamics。'Getoutoftheway'ishismotto。Mrs。
PomfretwilltellyouhowhemeanstocovertheStatewithgoodroadsnextyear，andtakeahouseinWashingtontheyearafter。“Sheheldoutherhand。“Good-by，——andIameversomuchobligedtoyouforbringingmehere。“
HedroveawaytowardsRiptonwithmanythingstothinkabout，withalastpictureofherinhismindasshepausedforaninstantintheflickeringshadows，strokingPepper'sforehead。
CHAPTERVII
THELEOPARDANDHISSPOTS
ItisdifficulttooverestimatetheimportanceofMr。HumphreyCrewe，ofhisvaluetothetownofLeith，andtotheStateatlarge，andinthesepagesonlyapoorattemptatanappreciationofhimmaybeexpected。Mr。
Crewebynomeansunderestimatedthisclaimuponthecommunity，andhehadoflatebeendeclaringthathewasnosummerresident。Wedderburnwashishome，andtherehepaidhistaxes。Undoubtedly，theywerelessthancitytaxes。
Althoughayoungman，Mr。Crewewasinallrespectsamodelcitizen，andapersonofmanyactivities。Hehadbuiltafarmers'club，towhichthefarmers，ingrossingratitude，hadnevergone。Nowitwasasummerresidenceanddistinctlyrentable。HehadastandingoffertoerectalibraryinthevillageofLeithprovidedthetownwouldfurnishtheground，thebooks，andpermitthenameofCrewetobecarvedinstoneoverthedoorway。Theindifferenceofthetownpainedhim，andhewasnaturallynotalittlegrievedatthelackofproperfeelingofthecountrypeopleofAmericatowardsthosewhowouldbettertheirconditions。Hehadputalargememorialwindowinthechapeltohisfamily。
Mr。Crewehadanotherstandingoffertobeoneoffivementostartafarmingexperimentstation——whichmightpaydividends。He，wasachurchwarden；presidentofasocietyforturningovercrops(whichhehadorganized)；amemberoftheStateGrange；presidentoftheembryoStateEconomicLeague(whateverthatwas)；andchairmanoftheLocalImprovementBoard——alsoacreationofhisown。Bythesetokens，andotherstoonumeroustomention，itwouldseemthattheinhabitantsofLeithwouldhavejumpedatthechancetomakesuchamanoneofthefivehundredintheirStateLegislature。
ToWhitmanisattributedtheremarkthatgeniusisalmostonehundredpercentdirectness，butwhetherornotthisappliedtoMr。HumphreyCreweremainstobeseen。“Dynamics“moresurelyexpressedhim。Itwouldnotseemtobeaverydifficultfeat，tobesure，togetelectedtoaStateLegislatureoffivehundredwhichmetonceayear:onceintenyears，indeed，mighthavebeenmoreappropriateforthefivehundred。ThetownofLeithwithitsthousandinhabitantshadonerepresentative，andMr。
Crewehadmadeuphismindhewastobethatrepresentative。
Therewas，needlesstosay，greatexcitementinLeithoverMr。Crewe'sproposedventureintotheunknownseasofpolitics。Imean，ofcourse，thatportionofLeithwhichrecognizedinMr。Creweaneligiblebachelorandapersonofsocialimportance，forthesequalitieswerenotparticularlyappealingtothethreehundredoddfarmerswhosevoteswereexpectedtosendhimrejoicingtotheStatecapital。
“Itissorarewithusforagentlemantogointopolitics，thatweoughttodoeverythingwecantoelecthim，“Mrs。Pomfretwentaboutdeclaring。
“WomendosomuchinEngland，Iwondertheydon'tdomorehere。IwasstayingatAylestoneCourtlastyearwhentheHonourableBillyAylestonewascontestingthefamilyseatwithahorridRadical，andIassureyou，mydear，Igotquiteexcited。WedidnothingfrommorningtillnightbutelectioneerfortheHonourableBilly，andkissedallthebabiesintheborough。Themothersweresograteful。Now，Edith，dotellJackinsteadofplayingtennisandcanoeingalldayheoughttohelp。It'sthedutyofallyoungmentohelp。Noblesseoblige，youknow。Ican'tunderstandVictoria。Shereallyhasinfluencewiththesecountrypeople，butshesaysit'sallnonsense。SometimesIthinkVictoriahasacommonstreakinher——andnowonder。TheotherdaysheactuallydrovetotheHammonds'
inabuggywithanunknownlawyerfromRipton。ButItoldyouaboutit。
Tellyourgardenerandthepeoplethatdoyourhaying，dear，andyourchickenwoman。Mychickenwomanismostapathetic，butdoyouwonder，withthelifetheylead？“
Mr。HumphreyCrewemighthavehad，withKingCharles，thewatchword“Thorough。“Hesenttothetownclerkforacheck-list，andproceededtohonoureachofthetwohundredRepublicanvoterswithapersonalvisit。
Thisisafairexampleofwhattookplaceinthemajorityofcases。
Outofacloudofdustemergesanautomobile，whichhalts，withprotestingbrakes，infrontofaneatfarmhouse，guardedbygreatmaples。
Persistentknockingbyachauffeuratlastbringsawomantothedoor。
Mrs。Jenneyhasapleasantfaceandanamplefigure。
“Mr。Jenneylivehere？“criesMr。Crewefromthedriver'sseat。
“Yes，“saysMrs。Jenney，smiling。
“TellhimIwanttoseehim。“
“Guessyou'llfindhimintheappleorchard。“
“Where'sthat？“
Thechauffeurtakesdownthebars，Mr。Jenneypricksuphisears，andpresently——tohisamazement——perceivesaLeviathanapproachinghim，careeningovertherutsofhiswoodroad。Notbeinganemotionalperson，hecontinuestopickapplesuntilheissummarilyhailed。ThenhegoesleisurelytowardstheLeviathan。
“AreyouMr。Jenney？“
“Callatetobe，“saysMr。Jenney，pleasantly。
“I'mHumphreyCrewe。“
“Howbeyou？“saysMr。Jenney，hiseyeswanderingovertheLeviathan。
Howaretheapplesthisyear？“asksMr。Crewe，graciously。
“Fairtomiddlin'，“saysMr。Jenney。
“HaveyouevertastedmyPippins？“saysMr。Crewe。“Alittlescienceincultivationhelpsalong。I'mgoingtosendyouaUnitedStatesgovernmentpamphletonthefruitwecanraisehere。“
Mr。Jenneymakesanawkwardpausebykeepingsilentonthesubjectofthepamphletuntilheshallseeit。
“Doyoutakemuchinterestinpolitics？“
“Notagreatdeal，“answersMr。Jenney。
“That'sthetroublewithAmericans，“Mr。Crewedeclares，“theydon'tcarewhorepresents'em，orwhethertheirgovernment'sgoodorbad。“
“Guessthat'sso，“repliesMr。Jenney，politely。
“Thatsortofthing'sgottostop，“declaresMr。Crewe；“I'macandidatefortheRepublicannominationforrepresentative。“
“Iwanttoknow！“ejaculatesMr。Jenney，pullinghisbeard。OnewouldneversuspectthatthishasbeenoneofMr。Jenney'schieftopicsoflate。
“I'llseethattheinterestsofthistownarecaredfor。“
“Let'ssee，“saysMr。Jenney，“there'sfivehundredintheHouse，ain'tthere？“
“It'saridiculousnumber，“saysMr。Crewe，withtruth。
“Giveseverybodyachancetogo，“saysMr。Jenney。“Iwastharin'78，andenjoyeditsome。“
“Whoareyoufor？“demandedMr。Crewe，combatingthetendencyoftheconversationtoslipintoapocket。
“Littleearlyyet，hain'tit？Hain'tmadeupmymind。Who'sthecandidates？“asksMr。Jenney，continuingtostrokehisbeard。
“Idon'tknow，“saysMr。Crewe，“butIdoknowI'vedonesomethingforthistown，andIhopeyou'lltakeitintoconsideration。Comeandseemewhenyougotothevillage。I'llgiveyouagoodcigar，andthatpamphlet，andwe'lltalkmattersover。“
“Neverwouldhavethoughttoseeoneofthemthingsinmyorchard，“saysMr。Jenney。“Howmuchdotheycost？Muchasalocomotive，don'tthey？“
Itwouldnotbeexacttosaythat，aftersomeweeksofthissortofcampaigning，Mr。Crewewasdiscouraged，forsuchwrithevitalitywithwhichnaturehadchargedhimthathedidnotknowthemeaningoftheword。Hewasmerelypuzzled，asaJune-bugispuzzledwhenitbumpsupagainstawirewindow-screen。Hehadpledgedtohimhisowngardener，Mrs。Pomfret's，thehiredmenofthreeofhisneighbours，afewmodestsoulswhohabituallytookofftheirhatstohim，andMr。Ball，ofthevillage，whosoldgroceriestoWedderburnandwasageneralhandymanforthesummerpeople。Mr。Ballwasanagitatorbytemperamentandapromoterbypreference。Ifyouwereasummerresidentofimportanceandneededanythingfromasewing-machinetoaHolsteinheifer，Mr。Ball，thegrocer，wouldaccommodateyou。WhenMrs。Pomfret'scookbecameinebriateandrefractory，Mr。Ballwassentfor，andenticedhertothestationandonboardofatrain；whentheChillinghams'tankoverflowed，Mr。Ballfoundthepropervalveandsavedthehousefrombeingwashedaway。Anditwashewho，afterMrs。Pomfret，tookthekeenestinterestinMr。
Crewe'scampaign。AtlengthcameonedaywhenMr。Crewepulledupinfrontofthegrocerystoreandcalled，ashiscustomwas，loudlyforMr。
Ball。ThefactthatMr。Ballwaswaitingoncustomersmadenodifference，andpresentlythatgentlemanappeared，rubbinghishandstogether。
“Howdoyoudo，Mr。Crewe？“hesaid，“automobilegoingallright？“
“What'sthematterwiththesefellers？“saidMr。Crewe。“Haven'tIdoneenoughforthetown？Didn'tIget'emruralfreedelivery？Didn'tI
subscribetothemeeting-houseandlibrary，anddon'tIpaymoretaxesthananybodyelse？“
“Certain，“assentedMr。Ball，eagerly，“certainyoudo。“Itdidnotseemtooccurtohimthatitwasunfairtomakehimresponsibleforthescurvyingratitudeofhistownsmen。Hesteppedgingerlydownintothedustandclimbeduponthetoolbox。
“Lookout，“saidMr。Crewe，“don'tscratchthevarnish。Whatisit？“
Mr。Ballshiftedobedientlytotherubber-coveredstep，andbenthisfacetohispatron'sear。
“It'srailrud，“hesaid。
“Railroad！“shoutedMr。Crewe，inavoicethatmadethegrocerclutchhisarminterror。“Don'tpinchmelikethat。Railroad！Thistownain'twithintenmilesoftherailroad。“
“FortheloveofDavid，“saidMr。Ball，“don'ttalksoloud，Mr。Crewe。“
“What'stherailroadgottodowithit？“Mr。Crewedemanded。
Mr。Ballglancedaroundhim，tomakesurethatnoonewaswithinshoutingdistance。
“What'stherailrudgottodowithanythinginthisState？“inquiredMr。
Ball，craftily。
“That'sdifferent，“saidMr。Crewe，shortly，“I'macorporationmanmyself。They'vegottodefend'emselves。“
“Certain。Iain'tgotanythingagain''em，“Mr。Ballagreedquickly。“I
guesstheyknowwhatthey'reabout。Bythebye，Mr。Crewe，“headded，comingdangerouslynearthevarnishagain，anddrawingback，“youhain'thappenedtohaveseenJobBraden，haveyou？“
“JobBraden！“exclaimedMr。Crewe，“JobBraden！What'sallthismysteryaboutJobBraden？Somebodywhispersthatnameinmyeareveryday。Ifyoumeanthatsmooth-facedcussthatstuttersandlivesonBraden'sHill，Icalledonhim，buthewasout。Ifyouseehim，tellhimtocomeuptoWedderburn，andI'lltalkwithhim。“
Mr。BallmadeagesturetoindicateafeelingdividedbetweenrespectforMr。Creweanddespairatthehardihoodofsuchaproposition。
“Lordblessyou，sir，Jobwouldn'tgo。“
“Wouldn'tgo？“
“Heneverpaysvisits，——folksgotohim。“
“He'dcometoseeme，wouldn'the？“
“I——I'mafraidriot，Mr。Crewe。Jobholdshiscombratherhigh。“
“Doyoumeantosaythistwo-for-a-centtownhasaboss？“
“SilasGrantleywasbornhere，“saidMr。Ball——foreventhewormwillturn。“Thistown'sgotanoblehistory。“
“Idon'tcareanythingaboutSilasGrantley。WhatIwanttoknowis，howthisrascalmanagestomakeanythingoutofthepoliticalpickingsofatownlikeLeith。“
“Well，Jobain'texactlyarascal，Mr。Crewe。He'sgotagoodmanyofthemhillfarmersinapositionof——ofgratitude。EnoughtocontroltheRepublicancaucus。“
“Doyoumeanhebuystheirvotes？“demandedMr。Crewe。
“It'slikethis，“explainedMr。Ball，“ifoneof'emfallsbehindinhisgrocerybill，forexample，hecanalwaysgetmoneyfromJob。Jobtakesamortgage，buthedon'toftenclosedownon'm。AndJobhasbeencollectin'credentialsinAvalonCountyforupwardoffortyyears。“
“Collectingcredentials？“
“Yes。GetsamannominatedtoStateandcountyconventionsthatcan'tgo，andgoeshimselfwithabunchofcredentials。He'sinapositiontonegotiate。HewasinallthemrailrudfightswithJethroBass，andnowhedoesbusinesswithHilaryVaneorBrushBascomwhenanythingespecial'sgoin'on。You'doughttoseehim，Mr。Crewe。“
“IguessIwon'twastemytimewithanypicayunebossiftheUnitedNortheasternRailroadshasanyhandinthismatter，“declaredMr。Crewe。
“Windherup。“
Thislatterremarkwasaddressedtoalong-sufferingchauffeurwholookedlikeaSicilianbrigand。
“Ididn'texactlyliketosuggestit，“saidMr。Ball，rubbinghishandsandraisinghisvoiceabovethewhirofthemachine，“butofcourseI
knewMr。Flintwasanintimatefriend。Awordtohimfromyou——“
ButbythisMr。Crewehadgotinhissecondspeedandwassweepingaroundacornerlinedwithfarmers'teams，whoseanimalswerebehavinglikecircushorses。Onhisowndriveway，wherehearrivedinincrediblybrieftime，hemethisstenographer，farmsuperintendent，secretary，housekeeper，andgeneralutilityman，Mr。Raikes。Mr。Raikeswaselderly，andshowedsignsofneedingavacation。
“TelephoneMr。Flint，Raikes，andtellhimIwouldlikeanappointmentathisearliestconvenience，onimportantbusiness。“
Mr。Raikes，whowasgoingforhisdailystrollbesidetheriver，wheeledandmadeforthetelephone，andbroughtbackthenewsthatMr。FlintwouldbehappytoseeMr。Crewethenextafternoonatfouro'clock。
Thisinterview，aboutwhichtherehasbeensomuchcontroversyinthenewspapers，anddenialsandcounter-denialsfromthepressbureausofbothgentlemen，——thisnowhistoricinterviewbeganatfouro'clockpreciselythenextday。AtthathourMr。CrewewasusheredintothatlittleroominwhichMr。FlintworkedwhenatFairview。LikeFredericktheGreatandotherfamouscaptains，Mr。Flintbelievedinanironbedsteadregime。Themagnatewas，asusual，fortifiedbehindhisoakdesk；thesecretarywithabendinhisbackwasinmodestevidence；andanelderlymanofcomfortableproportions，withalargegoldwatch-charmportrayingtherisingsun，andwhogave，somehow，thepolishedimpressionofamarble，satnearthewindowsmokingacigar。Mr。Creweapproachedthedeskwiththatgenialandbriskmannerforwhichhewasnotedandheldouthishandtotherailroadpresident。
“Wearebothbusinessmen，andbothpunctual，Mr。Flint，“hesaid，andsatdownintheemptychairbesidehishost，eyeingwithoutparticularfavourhimofthewatch-charm，whosecigarwasnotaverygoodone。“I
wantedtohavealittleprivateconversationwithyouwhichmightbeofconsiderableinteresttousboth。“AndMr。Crewelaiddownonthedeskasomewhatformidablerollofpapers。
“ItrustthepresenceofSenatorWhitredgewillnotdeteryou，“answeredMr。Flint。Heisanoldfriendofmine。“
Mr。Crewewasonhisfeetagainwithsurprisingalacrity，andbesidethesenator'schair。
“Howareyou，Senator？“hesaid，“Ihaveneverhadthepleasureofmeetingyou，butIknowyoubyreputation。“
Thesenatorgottohisfeet。Theyshookhands，andexchangedcordialgreetings；andduringtheexchangeMr。Crewelookedoutofthewindow，andthesenator'seyeswerefixedonthetelephonereceiveronMr。
Flint'sdesk。Asneithergentlemantookholdoftheother'sfingersveryhard，theyfellapartquickly。
“Iamveryhappytomeetyou，Mr。Crewe，“saidthesenator。Mr。Crewesatdownagain，andnotbeinghamperedbythoseshrinkingqualitiessofataltosuccesshewentonimmediately:——
“ThereisnothingwhichIhavetosaythatthesenatorcannothear。I
madetheappointmentwithyou，Mr。Flint，totalkoveramatterwhichmaybeofconsiderableimportancetousboth。“IhavemadeupmymindtogototheLegislature。“
Mr。Crewenaturallyexpectedtofindvisibleeffectsofastonishmentandjoyonthefacesofhishearersatsuchnotinconsiderablenews。Mr。
Flint，however，lookedseriousenough，thoughthesenatorsmiledasheblewhissmokeoutofthewindow。
“HaveyouseenJobBraden，Mr。Crewe？“heasked，withgenialjocoseness。
“TheytellmethatJobisstillaliveandkickingoverinyourparts。“
“Thankyou，Senator，“saidMr。Crewe，“thatbringsmetotheverypointI
wishtoemphasize。EverywhereinLeithIammetwiththeremark，'HaveyouseenJobBraden？'AndIalwaysanswer，'No，Ihaven'tseenMr。
Braden，andIdon'tintendtoseehim。“'
Mr。Whitredgelaughed，andblewoutaringofsmoke。Mr。Flint'sfaceremainedsober。
“Now，Mr。Flint，“Mr。Crewewenton，“youandIunderstandeachother，andwe'reonthesamesideofthefence。Ihaveinheritedsomeinterestsincorporationsmyself，andIhaveacquiredaninterestinothers。Iamadirectorinseveral。Ibelievethatitisthedutyofpropertytoprotectitself，andthedutyofallgoodmeninpolitics，——suchasthesenatorhere，“——(bowfromMr。Whitredge)toprotectproperty。Iamapracticalman，andIthinkIcanconvinceyou，ifyoudon'tseeitalready，thatmydeterminationtogototheLegislatureisanadvantageousthingforyourrailroad。“
“Theadventofareputablecitizenintopoliticsisalwaysagoodthingfortherailroad，Mr。Crewe，“saidMr。Flint。
“Exactly，“Mr。Creweagreed，ignoringthenon-committalqualityofthisremark，“andifyougetacitizenwhoisanotinconsiderablepropertyholder，agentleman，andacollegegraduate，——amanwho，bystudyandpredilection，isqualifiedtobringaboutimprovedconditionsintheState，somuchthebetter。“
“Somuchthebetter，“saidMr。Flint。
“Ithoughtyouwouldseeitthatway，“Mr。Crewecontinued。“NowamanofyourcalibremusthavestudiedtosomeextenttheneedsoftheState，anditmusthavestruckyouthatcertainimprovementsgohandinhandwiththeprosperityofyourrailroad。“
“Haveacigar，Mr。Crewe。Haveanother，Senator？“saidMr。Flint。“I
thinkthatissafeasageneralproposition，Mr。Crewe。“
“Tospecify，“saidMr。Crewe，layinghishandontherollofpapershehadbrought，“IhaveherebillswhichIhavecarefullydrawnupandwhichIwillleaveforyourconsideration。OneistoissuebondsfortenmillionstobuildStateroads。“
“Tenmillions！“saidMr。Flint，andthesenatorwhistledmildly。
“Thinkaboutit，“saidMr。Crewe，“theperfectionofthehighwaysthroughtheState，insteadofdecreasingyourearnings，wouldincreasethemtremendously。Visitorsbythetensofthousandswouldcomeinautomobiles，andremainandbuysummerplaces。TheStatewouldhaveitsmoneybackintaxesandbusinessinnotimeatall。Iwondersomebodyhasn'tseenitbefore——thestupidityofthecountrylegislatoriscolossal。Andwewantforestrylaws，andlawsforimprovingtheconditionofthefarmers——allpracticalthings。Theyareallthere，“Mr。
Crewedeclared，slappingthebundle；“readthem，Mr。Flint。Ifyouhaveanysuggestionstomake，kindlynotethemonthemargin，andIshallbegladtogooverthemwithyou。“
Bythistimethesenatorwasinararepostureforhim——hewasseatedupright。
“Asyouknow，Iamaverybusyman，Mr。Crewe，“saidtherailroadpresident。
“NooneappreciatesthatmorefullythanIdo，Mr。Flint，“saidMr。
Crewe；“Ihaven'tmanyidlehoursmyself。Ithinkyouwillfindthebillsandmycommentsonthemwellworthyourconsiderationfromthepointofviewofadvantagetoyourrailroad。Theyaretypewritten，andinconcreteform。Infact，theNortheasternRailroadsandmyselfmustworktogethertoourmutualadvantage——thathasbecomequitecleartome。
Ishallhaveneedofyourhelpinpassingthemeasures。“
“I'mafraidIdon'tquiteunderstandyou，Mr。Crewe，“saidMr。Flint，puttingdownthepapers。
“Thatis，“saidMr。Crewe，“ifyouapproveofthebills，andIamconfidentthatIshallbeabletoconvinceyou。“
“Whatdoyouwantmetodo？“askedtherailroadpresident。
“Well，inthefirstplace，“saidMr。Crewe，unabashed，“sendwordtoyourmanBradenthatyou'veseenmeandit'sallright。“
'Iassureyou，“answeredMr。Flint，givingevidenceforthefirsttimeofalossofpatience，“thatneithertheNortheasternRailroadsnormyself，haveanymoretodowiththisBradenthanyouhave。“
Mr。Crewe，beingamanoftheworld，lookedincredulous。
“Senator，“Mr。Flintcontinued，turningtoMr。Whitredge，“youknowasmuchaboutpoliticsinthisStateasanymanofmyacquaintance，haveyoueverheardofanyconnectionbetweenthisBradenandtheNortheasternRailroads？“
Thesenatorhadalaughthatwasparticularlydisarming。
“Blessyoursoul，no，“hereplied。“Youwillpardonme，Mr。Crewe，butyoumusthavebeenlisteningtosomefarmer'stale。Therailroadisthebugabooinallthesecountryromances。I'veseenoldJobBradenatconventionseversinceIwasalad。He'sabacknumber，oneofthefewremainingdisciplesandimitatorsofJethroBass:talkslikehimandactslikehim。Intheolddayswhentherewerealotoflittlerailroads，heandBijahBixbyandafewothersusedtomakesomethingoutofthem，butsincetheconsolidation，andMr。Flint'spresidency，Jobstaysathome。
TheytellmeherunsLeithyet。You'dbettergooverandfixitupwithhim。“
AsomewhatsarcasticsmileofsatisfactionwasplayingoverMr。Flint'sfaceashelistenedtothesenator'swords。Asamatteroffact，theywereverynearlytrueasregardedJobBraden，butMr。CrewemaybepardonedforthinkingthatMr。Flintwasnotshowinghimquitetheconfidenceduefromonebusinessandcorporationmantoanother。Hewasbynomeansabashed，——Mr。Crewehadtoomuchspiritforthat。Hemerelybecame——asamanwhosewatchwordis“thorough“will——alittlemorecombative。
“Well，readthebillsanyway，Mr。Flint，andI'llcomeandgooverthemwithyou。Youcan'tfailtoseemyarguments，andallIaskisthatyouthrowtheweightofyourorganizationattheStatecapitalforthemwhentheycomeup。“
Mr。Flintdrummedonthetable。
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