distant hills, but to Hilary the glories of the day were as things
non-existent. Even the groom at Fairview, who took his horse, glanced
back at him with a peculiar expression as he stood for a moment on the
steps with a hesitancy the man had never before remarked.

In the meantime Mr. Flint, with a pile of letters in a special basket
on the edge of his desk, was awaiting his counsel; the president of the
Northeastern was pacing his room, as was his wont when his activities
were for a moment curbed, or when he had something on his mind; and
every few moments he would glance towards his mantel at the clock which
was set to railroad time. In past days he had never known Hilary Vane
to be a moment late to an appointment. The door was open, and five
and twenty minutes had passed the hour before he saw the lawyer in the
doorway. Mr. Flint was a man of such preoccupation of mind that he
was not likely to be struck by any change there might have been in his
counsel's appearance.

"It's half-past three," he said.

Hilary entered, and sat down beside the window.

"You mean that I'm late," he replied.

"I've got some engineers coming here in less than an hour," said Mr.
Flint.

"I'll be gone in less than an hour," said Hilary.

"Well," said Mr. Flint, "let's get down to hardtack. I've got to be
frank with you, Vane, and tell you plainly that this political business
is all at sixes and sevens."

"It isn't necessary to tell me that," said Hilary.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I know it."

"To put it mildly," the president of the Northeastern continued, "it's
the worst mixed-up campaign I ever knew. Here we are with the convention
only two days off, and we don't know where we stand, how many delegates
we've got, or whether this upstart at Leith is going to be nominated
over our heads. Here's Adam Hunt with his back up, declaring he's a
reformer, and all his section of the State behind him. Now if that could
have been handled otherwise--"

"Who told Hunt to go in?" Hilary inquired.

"Things were different then," said Mr. Flint, vigorously. "Hunt had been
promised the governorship for a long time, and when Ridout became out of
the question--"

"Why did Ridout become out of the question?" asked Hilary.

Mr. Flint made a gesture of impatience.

"On account of that foolishness in the Legislature, of course."

"That foolishness in the Legislature, as you call it, represented a
sentiment all over the State," said