ay his
disappointment. As matters were shaping themselves he no longer
anticipated that he would be driven into pitched battle, forced to fight
intrenched enemies of reform--Luke Presson's face most conspicuous of
all those behind the party wall of privilege. As he listened to the
address he comforted himself with the thought that probably political
disagreements loomed more blackly as a cloud on the horizon than their
real consistency warranted. He was not in retreat--he would not admit
that to himself as he listened. But he felt that compromise and a better
understanding were in the air. There would be no more occasion for
troubled arguments between himself and the girl at his side. He did not
understand exactly in what way it would be done, but he felt that
Governor Waymouth knew how to win his reforms without such party
slaughter as the first engagements hinted at. He put himself into a very
comfortable frame of mind, and the girl at his side, by her mere
presence, added to his belief that this was a pretty good old world,
after all.

He had lost some of his respect for "reform." It had been exemplified
for him mostly by such men as Prouty and his intolerant kind--by Spinney
and his dupes. He felt that he might call decency by some other name,
and arrive at results by the calm and dignified course which Governor
Waymouth now seemed to be pointing out. He suddenly felt a warm
appreciation of the wisdom of Madeleine Presson as she had made that
good sense known to him in their talks.

"For it is by my works, not my words, that I would be judged," concluded
the Governor, solemnly, and bowed to the applause which greeted the end.

Neither Harlan Thornton nor any other listener in the great assembly
hall took those words as signifying anything more than the usual pledge
of faithful performance.

After the dissolving of the joint caucus he escorted Madeleine to the
council-chamber, where the new Governor was holding his impromptu
reception. There were no shadows on the faces which pressed closely
around him. All the politicians of the State were there, eager to be the
first to congratulate him. Their fears had been somewhat allayed. In
political circles it was well understood that Waymouth stood for a
clean-up. It had been hinted that his programme would be drastic. The
members of the machine, more intimately in the secrets of the
convention, had expected that the old Roman would sound the first blast
of the charge i