immediately."

The grave Senators resumed their seats, and Wade, the acting
Vice-president, again put the question to Stockton's expulsion.

The member from New England sat pale and trembling, in his soul the
anguish of the mortal combat between his Puritan conscience, the iron
heritage of centuries, and the order of his captain.

When the Clerk of the Senate called his name, still the battle raged. He
sat in silence, the whiteness of death about his lips, while the clerk at
a signal from the Chair paused.

And then a scene the like of which was never known in American history!
August Senators crowded around his desk, begging, shouting, imploring, and
demanding that a fellow Senator break his solemn word of honour!

For a moment pandemonium reigned.

"Vote! Vote! Call his name again!" they shouted.

High above all rang the voice of Charles Sumner, leading the wild chorus,
crying:

"Vote! Vote! Vote!"

The galleries hissed and cheered--the cheers at last drowning every hiss.

Stoneman pushed his way among the mob which surrounded the badgered
Puritan as he attempted to retreat into the cloakroom.

"Will you vote?" he hissed, his eyes flashing poison.

"My conscience will not permit it," he faltered.

"To hell with your conscience!" the old leader thundered. "Go back to your
seat, ask the clerk to call your name, and vote, or by the living God I'll
read you out of the party to-night and brand you a snivelling coward, a
copperhead, a renegade, and traitor!"

Trembling from head to foot, he staggered back to his seat, the cold sweat
standing in beads on his forehead, and gasped:

"Call my name!"

The shrill voice of the clerk rang out in the stillness like the peal of a
trumpet:

"Mr. Roman!"

And the deed was done.

A cheer burst from his colleagues, and the roll-call proceeded.

When Stockton's name was reached he sprang to his feet, voted for himself,
and made a second tie!

With blank faces they turned to the leader, who ordered Charles Sumner to
move that the Senator from New Jersey be not allowed to answer his name on
an issue involving his own seat.

It was carried. Again the roll was called, and Stockton expelled by a
majority of one.

In the moment of ominous silence which followed, a yellow woman of sleek
animal beauty leaned far over the gallery rail and laughed aloud.

The passage of each act of the Revolutionary programme over the veto of
the President was now but a matter of form