Madame waved her hand at their prisoner, in answer.

"Cataleptic," said the professor, peering at him through his glasses.
"Bulse feeble, preath imberceptible. Yes, he is reeled in."

"Well, give him the gaff," said Blodgett. "In other words, fetch him
to."

Madame le Claire stretched vibrant hands toward the entranced man, and
again uttered the sharp command, "Awake!"

Amidon smilingly opened his eyes, and looked about him.

"Where are the letters?" said he, looking about for those vexing
communications, to find the meaning of which had been the object of the
inquiry from which Alderson had drawn him with the telegram. "Did you
note on them the information we wanted? Why, is it night? How long
have you had me under the influence? Is anything the matter, Clara?"

"Not now," said Le Claire.

"Now eferyding is recht," added the professor.

"But you have given us the devil's own chase," said the judge.

"It is nearly midnight," said Mr. Amidon. "Have I been out all the
afternoon?"

"All the afternoon!" exclaimed Blodgett. "Yes, and all day, and all
yesterday, and the day before, and other days! You've been raising
merry Ned, Florian, in your Brassfield capacity. Do you want to know
what you've done?"

"_Do_ I?" he cried. "Tell me all at once!"

"Well, for one thing," said the old lawyer, "Edgington's long-incubated
scheme has hatched, and you've been through a strenuous mayoralty
contest with Colonel McCorkle, and have swept the board. Your friends
insisted on it, you know, and you couldn't decline."

"Friends!" sneered Amidon. "I tell you, the whole thing is hypocrisy
and graft. That villain Brassfield has a scheme for stealing the
streets. I told Edgington I wouldn't----"

"Yes," said the judge, "and he took you at your word and trotted
McCorkle out, and you trimmed them up. But it's all made up with him,
now, and you and he and Alvord are as thick as thieves. You've got a
jewel of a campaign manager in that man Alvord----"

"Judge," cried Amidon, "I want you to get up a letter of
withdrawal--you have watched the miserable business, and know more of
it than I do--one that will make me as little ridiculous as possible,
you know. I don't care for the people in general, but there are some
whose good opinion I prize----"

"I know, Florian," said the judge. "I know. But you can't expect to
cut a very good figure, you know."

"Well, manage it as well as you can, and--I suppose you've