n what you call a high political career. I
haven't been in the House so many months without finding that out. It
contains some very small souls."

"You should stand against them--you should expose them!" stammered Mr.
Carteret.

"Stand against them, against one's own party!"

The old man contended a moment with this and then broke out: "God
forgive you, are you a Tory, are you a Tory?"

"How little you understand me!" laughed Nick with a ring of bitterness.

"Little enough--little enough, my boy. Have you sent your electors your
dreadful letter?"

"Not yet; but it's all ready and I shan't change my mind."

"You will--you will. You'll think better of it. You'll see your duty,"
said the invalid almost coaxingly.

"That seems very improbable, for my determination, crudely and abruptly
as, to my great regret, it comes to you here, is the fruit of a long and
painful struggle. The difficulty is that I see my duty just in this
other effort."

"An effort? Do you call it an effort to fall away, to sink far down, to
give up every effort? What does your mother say, heaven help her?" Mr.
Carteret went on before Nick could answer the other question.

"I haven't told her yet."

"You're ashamed, you're ashamed!" Nick only looked out of the west
window now--he felt his ears turn hot. "Tell her it would have been
sixty thousand. I had the money all ready."

"I shan't tell her that," said Nick, redder still.

"Poor woman--poor dear woman!" Mr. Carteret woefully cried.

"Yes indeed--she won't like it."

"Think it all over again; don't throw away a splendid future!" These
words were uttered with a final flicker of passion--Nick had never heard
such an accent on his old friend's lips. But he next began to murmur,
"I'm tired--I'm very tired," and sank back with a groan and with closed
lips. His guest gently assured him that he had but too much cause to be
exhausted and that the worst was over now. He smoothed his pillows for
him and said he must leave him, would send in the nurse. "Come back,
come back," Mr. Carteret pleaded against that; "come back and tell me
it's a horrible dream."

Nick did go back very late that evening; his host had sent a message to
his room. But one of the nurses was on the ground this time and made
good her opposition watch in hand. The sick-room was shrouded and
darkened; the shaded candle left the bed in gloom. Nick's interview with
his venerable friend was the affair of but a moment; the nurse