“Senator, be quick,” he said sharply, at the same time alert to see that they were unobserved. “Mrs. Protheroe wants to speak to you at once. You'll find her near the big palms under the stairway in the hall.” He was gone--he had wormed his way half across the room--before the other, in his simple amazement could answer. When Alonzo at last found a word, it was only a monosyllable, which, with his accompanying action, left a matron of years, who was at that moment being pressed fondly to his side, in a state of mind almost as dumbfounded as his own. “_Here!_” was all he said as he pressed the plate and napkin into her hand and departed forcibly for the hall, leaving a spectacular wreckage of trains behind him. The upward flight of the stairway left a space underneath, upon which, as it was screened (save for a narrow entrance) by a thicket of palms, the crowd had not encroached. Here were placed a divan and a couple of chairs; there was shade from the glare of gas, and the light was dim and cool. Mrs. Protheroe had risen from the divan when Alonzo entered this grotto, and stood waiting for him. He stopped in the green entrance-way with a quick exclamation. She did not seem the same woman who had put such slights upon him, this tall, white vision of silk, with the summery scarf falling from her shoulders. His great wrath melted at the sight of her; the pain of his racked pride, which had been so hot in his breast, gave way to a species of fear. She seemed not a human being, but a bright spirit of beauty and goodness who stood before him, extending two fine arms to him in long, white gloves. She left him to his trance for a moment, then seized both his hands in hers and cried to him in her rapturous, low voice: “Ah, Senator, you have come! I _knew_ you understood!” “Yes ma'am,” he whispered chokily. She drew him to one of the chairs and sank gracefully down upon the divan near him. “Mr. Truslow was so afraid you wouldn't,” she went on rapidly, “but I was sure. You see I didn't want anybody to suspect that I had any influence with you. I didn't want them to know, even, that I'd talked to you. It all came to me after the first day that we met. You see I've believed in you, in your power and in your reserve, from the first. I want all that you do to seem to come from yourself and not from me or any one else. Oh, I _believe_ in great, strong men who stand upon their own feet and conquer the world for themselves! That's _your_ way, Senator Rawson. So, you see, as they think I'm lobbying for the bill, I wanted them to believe that your speech for it to-morrow comes from your own great, strong mind and heart and your sense of right, and not from any suggestion of mine.” “My speech!” he stammered.