gone, like
a hunter in sight of his quarry.

XXV

The silence that followed was broken by Annette's laughter.

"What very pretty conduct!" she said.

Senator Fairclothe thrust out his chest pompously. Garman being gone
he saw himself as the dominant personality present.

"Men of great affairs, my dear Annette, cannot permit attention to the
petty details of conduct to disturb their purpose when a crisis
presents itself. The truly big man lets his results speak for
themselves. Mr. Garman exercises the privileges of the big man that he
is. It is a privilege to see such a man meeting and solving a problem."

"Do you know what it is about, father?"

"Not at all. Nor do I concern myself. I know Mr. Garman."

The girl leaned forward and peered in his eyes.

"Do you really, father? Ah! I see you do. You too, then? But how
you--a man?"

"Annette," called Mrs. Livingstone, "will you please come in?"

The meal that followed was a ghastly affair. One figure there alone
would have served to cast gloom over the table. Senator Fairclothe sat
crumpled in his chair, his white Vandyke beard crushed on his breast,
looking ridiculously helpless. He had shrunk from his daughter's
words. Not until he had drunk much champagne after the meal did he
begin to recover. And soon after he strutted out to a shaded chair and
fell asleep.

Said Mrs. Livingstone presently:

"Mr. Payne, I understand that Mr. Garman has given orders that the
Egret is at your disposal if you wish to go down the river. I believe
you had planned such a trip, had you not?"

"Are you going?" asked Annette suddenly.

"Yes. Our ditcher is down there at Gumbo Key. I'll feel safer if I
start him up the river myself."

Annette jumped up with a cry of relief.

"Get my sweater coat, Aunty. Get one for yourself. Father! Father,
wake up! We're all going for a nice, beautiful, cool ride down the
river."

"Annette!" gasped Mrs. Livingstone; but Annette carried all before her
like a young spring storm.

Payne had not contemplated a start until near evening, but within half
an hour he found himself beside the girl leaning over the port rail of
the Egret and watching the water curl away from her gleaming bows as
the boat slipped swiftly downstream toward Gumbo Key.

"I was suffocating back there," she explained. "I had to get away.
Yes, Aunty; I'll come out of the sun in a minute--Mr. Payne, I want to
thank you for the way you lied