And the midnight train carried no passengers whose sleep was sounder than that of the two weary men, who took with them to Washington a heavier burden to put upon the shoulders of the nation’s chief than any president had borne since Lincoln. CHAPTER XII. A CONSULTATION AT THE WHITE HOUSE. When the secretary of the treasury reached his desk on the morning of Saturday, the 2d of November, 1895, he notified the doorkeeper that he should be extremely busy for some hours, and that all callers must be refused. Even members of Congress must be denied admission. Nevertheless, a few minutes later, the attendant came hesitatingly into the secretary’s private room with two cards, and said: “These gentlemen insisted, sir, that I should bring you the message on one of their cards.” Visibly annoyed, the secretary took the cards, and glancing at the first exclaimed impatiently: “Robert Brent--who is he?” Upon the second card, bearing the name of “John Wharton,” he read the hastily scribbled words: “A few minutes, please, upon business of the utmost public importance.” The secretary’s manner changed instantly. “Show the gentlemen in at once,” was his order. A moment later he greeted Wharton cordially, saying: “You are the one man whom I am heartily glad to see to-day.” “Thank you, sir,” responded Wharton. “I wish I could hope that my coming would justify your welcome. Allow me to present my friend, Mr. Brent of New York.” The two men shook hands, and when they had seated themselves near the secretary’s desk, Wharton went on to say: “Let me explain at once that Mr. Brent is the principal for whom my firm has been acting in all the operations with which our name has been connected during the past year. It has been his money and only his which has been used. We have come to Washington to put you in possession of certain information which is of the gravest importance to the nation, and to ask your advice and assistance. I should say at the outset that if even a suspicion of the truth which we are here to make known to you should transpire, it would work the greatest calamity to the country; so you will pardon me, I know, if I ask if we can speak without possibility of being overheard.” “Certainly, Mr. Wharton,” responded the secretary gravely, his glance resting first on one man and then on the other with an expression of keenest interest. “We are quite by ourselves, and we shall not be disturbed. I hope your facts are not as alarming as your words imply.” “I fear they are, sir,” resumed Wharton. “You know already a good deal about our investment of very large sums of money, originally in gold, since December of last year. We have expended in one way or another in this country and in England a total of about five hundred million dollars.” “Is it as much as that?” inquired the secretary surprised. “I knew it was a vast sum, but I imagined it was somewhat smaller.”