t animation. But in the first and last
view of his face it was the mouth that marked the man; the straight,
thin lips would close or unclose at their own will, not at
another's--the line of the mouth, like the line of the hard, square jaw,
was the physical expression of his character. He was called ugly, but it
was at least the ugliness of individuality--the ugliness of an
unpolished force--of a raw, yet disciplined energy. Now, as he stood at
his full height upon the stage, his personality was felt before his
words were uttered. He had but one attribute of recognised oratory--a
voice; and yet a voice so little vibrant as to seem almost without
inflections.

It was resonant, far-reaching, incisive; but it rang abruptly and
without mellowness.

"Mr. Chairman," he began, and his words were heard from pit to gallery.
"It is perhaps unnecessary for me to state that I do not rise as an
advocate of Mr. Webb. I am neither his personal friend nor his political
supporter, but in the year alluded to by the gentleman from Nottoway I
was upon a committee appointed to investigate the charges which the
gentleman from Nottoway has seen fit to revive." A silence had fallen in
which a whisper might have been heard. Every eye in the building was
turned to where his outstanding mop of hair shone red against the
smoke-stained wall. "The charges were thoroughly investigated and
emphatically withdrawn. The gentleman from Nottoway has been misinformed
or his memory has misled him--since there was abundant evidence brought
before the committee to prove the suspicions against Mr. Webb's methods
as a lobbyist to be absolutely without foundation.

"I have made this statement because I believe myself to be in a better
position to disprove this old and forgotten charge than any man present.
As I am a recognised opponent of Mr. Webb's political ambition my
testimony to the integrity of his personal honour may be of additional
value."

In the thunder of applause that shook the building he turned for the
first time towards the house. The cheers that went up to him brought the
animation to his eyes. The faces in the pit were hidden behind a sea of
handkerchiefs and hats--it was the response which a Virginia audience
makes to a brave or a generous action. "Hurrah for honest Nick!" yelled
the floor, and "Go in and win yourself!" shouted a delegate from his own
district.

He spoke again, and they were silent.

"Men of Virginia, in the naming of yo