overflow meeting in the State capital
remains unknown:
"My friends," Mr. Crewe had said, "I have been waiting for the time when
St. Giles of the Blameless Life would be pushed forward, apparently as
the only hope of our so-called 'solid citizens.' (Prolonged laughter, and
audible repetitions of Mr. Henderson's nickname, which was to stick.) I
will tell you by whose desire St. Giles became a candidate, and whose
bidding he will do if he becomes governor as blindly and obediently as
the Honourable Adam B. Hunt ever did. (Shouts of "Flint!" and, "The
Northeastern!") I see you know. Who sent the solid citizens to see Mr.
Henderson? ("Flint!") This is a clever trick--exactly what I should have
done if I'd been running their campaign--only they didn't do it early
enough. They picked Mr. Giles Henderson for two reasons: because he lives
in Kingston, which is anti-railroad and supported the Gaylord bill, and,
because he never in his life committed any positive action, good or
bad--and he never will. And they made another mistake--the Honourable
Adam B. Hunt wouldn't back out." (Laughter and cheers.)
CHAPTER XXII
IN WHICH EUPHRASIA TAKES A HAND
Austen had not forgotten his promise to Euphrasia, and he had gone to
Hanover Street many times since his sojourn at Mr. Jabe Jenney's. Usually
these visits had taken place in the middle of the day, when Euphrasia,
with gentle but determined insistence, had made him sit down before some
morsel which she had prepared against his coming, and which he had not
the heart to refuse. In answer to his inquiries about Hilary, she would
toss her head and reply, disdainfully, that he was as comfortable as he
should be. For Euphrasia had her own strict ideas of justice, and to her
mind Hilary's suffering was deserved. That suffering was all the more
terrible because it was silent, but Euphrasia was a stern woman. To know
that he missed Austen, to feel that Hilary was being justly punished for
his treatment of her idol, for his callous neglect and lack of
realization of the blessings of his life--these were Euphrasia's grim
compensations.
At times, even, she had experienced a strange rejoicing that she had
promised Austen to remain with his father, for thus it had been given her
to be the daily witness of a retribution for which she had longed during
many years. Nor did she strive to hide her feelings. Their intercourse,
never voluminous, had shrunk to the barest necessities for the us
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