alty--at heart--than you know.
Behind all our differences, in the party (as, with such big issues,
couldn't be avoided)--well; they didn't cut so deep as they seemed to.
They were all proud of you, even though we couldn't always agree. Of
course there've been exceptions.

EX-PRES. I don't want to judge the exceptions now (as perhaps I have done
in the past) more hardly than I judge myself ... Tumulty, I've failed.

TUMULTY (_extenuatingly_.) In a way--yes: for a time, no doubt.

EX-PRES. Absolutely.

TUMULTY. I don't agree.

EX-PRES. Because you don't know.

TUMULTY. Governor, I know a good deal.

EX-PRES. Oh, yes; you've been a right hand to me--all through. Others
weren't. So I had to leave them alone, and--be alone. When I made that
choice, it seemed not to matter: my case was so strong--and I had such
faith in it! It was that did for me!

TUMULTY. Chief, I'm not out to argue with you--to make you more tired than
you are already. But if I don't say anything, please don't think I'm
agreeing with you.

EX-PRES. I'm accustomed to people not agreeing with me, Tumulty.... Yes:
too much faith--not in what I stood for, but in myself: perhaps--though
there I'm not so sure--perhaps too little in others. To some I gave too
much: and the mischief was done before I knew.

TUMULTY. You don't need to name him, President.

EX-PRES. I don't need to name anyone now. Sometimes a man may know his own
points of weakness too well--guard against them to excess, be overcautious
because of them; and then, trying to correct himself, just for once he's
not cautious enough. But where I failed was in getting the loyalty and
cooperation of those who didn't agree with me so thoroughly as you did.
And I ought to have done it; for that is a part of government. Your good
executive is the man who gets all fish into his net. I failed: I caught
some good men, but I let others go. There was fine material to my hand
which I didn't recognise, or didn't use so well as I should have done. I
hadn't the faculty of letting others think for me: when I tried, it went
badly; they didn't respond. So--I did all myself.

TUMULTY (_airing himself a little_). You always listened to
_me_, Governor.

EX-PRES. Yes, Tumulty, yes. And you weren't offended when I--didn't pay
any attention.

TUMULTY. When you _had_ paid attention, you mean.

EX-PRES. Perhaps I do. My way of paying attention has struck others
differently. They think I'm one who doesn't list