Curtis shook hands with the old man with a sense of security. Here, at least, was a senator of the old school, a man to be depended upon in time of trouble. He began also to realize Lawson's power, for he seemed to be the personal friend of every honest official connected with the department. As the two young men stepped out into the hall they came face to face with Elsie and her father. "Are we too late?" cried the girl. "Is the hearing over?" "My part of it is," answered Curtis--"at least for to-day. They may recall me to-morrow." Brisbane was visibly annoyed. "I didn't suppose you would come on till eleven; that's the word I got over the 'phone. I particularly wanted to hear your deposition," he added, sourly. "Papa has an idea your opposition to this bill is important," Elsie said, lightly, as Curtis edged away from Brisbane. Brisbane followed him up. "Well, now that your hearing is over, suppose you get into our carriage and go home with us to lunch?' "Please do!" said Elsie, with flattering sincerity. Curtis hesitated, and was made captive. "It is a great temptation," he said, looking at Lawson. Elsie saw him yielding and cried out: "Oh, you must come--and you, too, Osborne." Lawson was plainly defeated. "I can't do it. I have a couple of New York men to lunch at the club, and I couldn't think of putting them off." "Oh, I'm so sorry; we would have made a nice little lunch party." "There are other days coming!" he replied, as lightly as possible. As they drove away Curtis had a premonition that his impending interview would be disagreeable, for Brisbane sat in silence, his keen eyes full of some sinister resolution. He was, in fact, revolving in his mind a plan of attack. He realized the danger of attempting to bribe such a man even indirectly, but a poor and ambitious soldier might be removed by gentler means, through promotion; and friendly pressure might be brought to bear on the War Department to that effect. Having set himself to the task of clearing the reservation of the Tetongs, a man of Brisbane's power did not hesitate long over the morality of methods, and having decided upon promotion as his method of approaching Curtis, the old man distinctly softened, and made himself agreeable by extending the drive and affably pointing out the recent improvements in the city. "Our Capitol is as good as any now," he said. "Our new buildings are up to the standard." The young soldier refused to be drawn into any blood-heating discussions, being quite content to sit facing Elsie, feeling obscurely the soft roll of the wheels beneath him, and absorbing the light and color of the streets. "This is my city," he said; "I spent my boyhood, here. I went to West Point from here."