to combat
sounded when peace seemed assured. The young man perceived now how much
of his early zeal had deserted him. He shrank from the task the Governor
had assigned to him. It was a blow that was aimed at the tenderest point
of his own party; it was obliging the party, as the dominant power, to
thrust upon the mass of the people the radical execution of a law which
public opinion secretly opposed--that opinion even slyly welcoming the
breach of it. And Governor Waymouth had emphasized what that new measure
meant by citing the name of Luke Presson. It set the situation before
Harlan in a flash. He was summoned to carry out his pledge of loyalty to
Governor Waymouth by attacking the pet policy of nullification that kept
his own party off the shoals to which extreme radicalism would surely
drive it. The first man who would be hit--both as chairman of the party
State Committee and in his personal interests--would be the man whose
daughter he was seeking. Harlan wondered how that marriage proposal
would sound, either on the heels or on the eve of the introduction of
"the Thornton bill."

His uncertainty showed so plainly in his face that the Governor walked
around his table and scrutinized him closely.

"My boy," he asked, "has the enemy captured you while you've been
resting on your arms? Remember, there are slick and specious ways of
making the wrong seem right in politics! I hope you haven't been
tampered with!"

For a guilty moment Harlan remembered the admonitions of Madeleine
Presson. He was promptly ashamed that they had come to his mind when the
Governor spoke his fears.

"I'm going to tell you just why I'm a bit slow in this matter," he said,
manfully. "It may seem a trivial reason to you, Governor Waymouth. I
stopped to wonder how it would affect my friendship with the Presson
family if I should introduce that bill."

"Oh, I see how the land lies! You can understand now how old I am--old
and cold with all the romance burned out of me! I'd forgotten that
there's anything except politics left in the world. So--" He paused,
beaming kindly on the young man, and pursing his lips ready for the
jocose supposition that Harlan foresaw and anticipated.

"No," he declared, flushing, "it isn't that way. It hasn't gone that
far, Governor. I ask your pardon for mentioning my personal affairs,
especially an affair of this sort. But I should be very sorry to break
off my friendship with the Pressons."

The Governor wen