ant it, and if he hasn't
other politicians to protect him, they'll take it." The girl raised her
head.

"Why don't you speak to the senator?" she asked. "Tell him you've known
him for years, that----"

"Glad to do it!" exclaimed the admiral heartily. "It won't be the first
time. But Henry mustn't know. He's too confoundedly touchy. He hates the
IDEA of influence, hates men like Hanley, who abuse it. If he thought
anything was given to him except on his merits, he wouldn't take it."

"Then we won't tell him," said the girl. For a moment she hesitated.

"If I spoke to Mr. Hanley," she asked, "told him what I learned to-night
of Mr. Marshall, would it have any effect?"

"Don't know how it will affect Hanley," said the sailor, "but if you
asked me to make anybody a consul-general, I'd make him an ambassador."

Later in the evening Hanley and Livingstone were seated alone on
deck. The visit to Las Bocas had not proved amusing, but, much to
Livingstone's relief, his honored guest was now in good-humor. He took
his cigar from his lips, only to sip at a long cool drink. He was in a
mood flatteringly confidential and communicative.

"People have the strangest idea of what I can do for them," he laughed.
It was his pose to pretend he was without authority. "They believe I've
only to wave a wand, and get them anything they want. I thought I'd be
safe from them on board a yacht."

Livingstone, in ignorance of what was coming, squirmed apprehensively.

"But it seems," the senator went on, "I'm at the mercy of a conspiracy.
The women folk want me to do something for this fellow Marshall. If they
had their way, they'd send him to the Court of St. James. And old Hardy,
too, tackled me about him. So did Miss Cairns. And then Marshall himself
got me behind the wheel-house, and I thought he was going to tell me how
good he was, too! But he didn't."

As though the joke were on himself, the senator laughed appreciatively.

"Told me, instead, that Hardy ought to be a vice-admiral."

Livingstone, also, laughed, with the satisfied air of one who cannot be
tricked.

"They fixed it up between them," he explained, "each was to put in a
good word for the other." He nodded eagerly. "That's what I think."

There were moments during the cruise when Senator Hanley would have
found relief in dropping his host overboard. With mock deference, the
older man inclined his head.

"That's what you think, is it?" he asked. "Livingstone," he ad