accurate idea of who was who in the legislature and politics of the
state, and established relationships--as the Colonel reminded me--likely
to prove valuable in the future. It seemed only gracious to congratulate
him on his management of the affair,--so far. He appeared pleased, and
squeezed my hand.

"Well, sir, it did require a little delicacy of touch. And if I do
say it myself, it hasn't been botched," he admitted. "There ain't an
outsider, as far as I can learn, who has caught on to the nigger in
the wood-pile. That's the great thing, to keep 'em ignorant as long as
possible. You understand. They yell bloody murder when they do find out,
but generally it's too late, if a bill's been handled right."

I found myself speculating as to who the "outsiders" might be. No
Ribblevale attorneys were on the spot as yet,--of that I was satisfied.
In the absence of these, who were the opposition? It seemed to me as
though I had interviewed that day every man in the legislature.

I was very tired. But when I got into bed, it was impossible to sleep.
My eyes smarted from the tobacco smoke; and the events of the day,
in disorderly manner, kept running through my head. The tide of
my exhilaration had ebbed, and I found myself struggling against a
revulsion caused, apparently, by the contemplation of Colonel Varney and
his associates; the instruments, in brief, by which our triumph over our
opponents was to be effected. And that same idea which, when launched
amidst the surroundings of the Boyne Club, had seemed so brilliant, now
took on an aspect of tawdriness. Another thought intruded itself,--that
of Mr. Pugh, the president of the Ribblevale Company. My father had
known him, and some years before I had traveled halfway across the state
in his company; his kindliness had impressed me. He had spent a large
part of his business life, I knew, in building up the Ribblevale, and
now it was to be wrested from him; he was to be set aside, perhaps
forced to start all over again when old age was coming on! In vain I
accused myself of sentimentality, and summoned all my arguments to prove
that in commerce efficiency must be the only test. The image of Mr. Pugh
would not down.

I got up and turned on the light, and took refuge in a novel I had in
my bag. Presently I grew calmer. I had chosen. I had succeeded. And now
that I had my finger at last on the nerve of power, it was no time to
weaken.

It was half-past six when I awoke and wen