it
comes to wheedling, age is no such bar. I call to mind one man who
could side with Old Hickory in the case of Mrs. Peggy Eaton. I
mean him whom we call the Old Fox of the North."

"He was a widower, even then, and hence immune," smiled the man
across the table. "Now he is many years older."

"Yet, none the less a widower, and all the more an adjuster of nice
matters. He has proven himself a politician. It was his accident
and not his fault not to remain with us in our party! Yet I happen
to know that though once defeated for the presidency and twice for
the nomination, he remains true to his Free Soil beliefs. It has
just occurred to me, since our friend from Kentucky mentions it,
that could we by some fair means, some legal means--some means of
adjustment and compromise, if you please, gentlemen,--place this
young lady under the personal care of this able exponent of the
_suaviter in modo_, and induce him to conduct her, preferably to
some unknown point beyond the Atlantic Ocean, there to lose her
permanently, we should perhaps be doing our country a service, and
would also be relieving this administration of one of its gravest
concerns. Best of all, we should be using a fox for a cat's-paw,
something which has not often been done."

The matter-of-fact man who presided straightened his shoulders as
though with relief at some sign of action; yet he did not relax his
insistent gravity sufficiently to join the smile that followed this
sally.

"Let us be sure, gentlemen, of one thing at a time," he resumed.
"As we come to this final measure suggested by our friend from
Kentucky, I am at a loss how further to proceed. What we do can
not be made public. We can not sign a joint note asking this
distinguished gentleman to act as our intermediary."

"At the time of the ratification of the Constitution by the
convention of 1787," began the dark man who had earlier spoken,
"there arose a difficulty as to the unanimity of those signing. At
the suggestion of Doctor Franklin and Mr. Gouverneur Morris, there
was a clause added which stated that the Constitution was signed
'_as by the states actually present_,' this leaving the individual
signers not personally responsible! I suggest therefore, sir, that
we should evade the personal responsibility of this did you put it
to the vote of the _states_ represented here."

"I rely upon the loyalty and the unanimity of my family," replied
the leader, with more firmnes