He lifted his hand in protest. “Don’t--please! It’s unkind now that I know you. I’ve had such a silly idea of your personality. I repent in sackcloth and ashes--” “Really?” “Honestly,” he went on eagerly. “You know I had an idea that all suffragettes were ugly, disappointed, soured women whose lives had been beggared by the faults of sinful men--” “Or Amazons--Uncy!” Zonia broke in with a laugh. “He called you an Amazon, Miss Holland!” Virginia blushed and broke into a musical laugh. John Vassar shook his head menacingly at his niece. “That’ll do for you now, Miss!” “Did you call me an Amazon?” Virginia asked still smiling. “Before I saw you, yes--” “And now?” “Now, I’ve a new grudge against Waldron for using first an expression on which I could improve--” “What’s that?” she asked, puzzled. “He called you ‘our Joan of Arc’--” “And you could improve on that?” “Yes--you’re Joan of Arc without the cold touch of sainthood. You’re warm and real and human and still the leader--” She lifted a pair of serious eyes quickly to his and saw that he was in dead earnest. There was no fencing or banter. He meant it. A little smile of triumph played about the corners of her mouth. She held his gaze in silence and then spoke slowly. “We’re going to be friends?” “If you’ll let me--” Her eyes still held his steadily. “There are conditions, of course--” “All right.” “You wish to know them?” “At once--” “My! My! You can come to the point--can’t you?” She laughed. “My political life may depend on it, you know?” he replied lightly. “Why not walk home with me--” “With pleasure!” he broke in. “And we’ll have a chat in the library. I’m free to confess, Mr. Congressman, that we would like very much to come to an understanding with you.” “And I’m going to confess, Miss Holland, that I’m very much ashamed of myself that I haven’t made an effort to understand you.” “Well, you know what the old preacher down South always shouted in the revivals?” “No--what?” “As long as the lamp holds out to burn the vilest sinner may return!” “Good. We’ll hope that my repentance is not too late--” “My only fear is, to tell you the truth--that it’s a little too sudden--” “But it’s genuine!” he cried. “You’ll have to admit that!” He looked in vain for his father and Marya. “Zonia may go with us?” he asked. “Indeed she can! Everybody has tried his hand to draw out our young statesman and she succeeds. She’s my little mascot!” Virginia pressed her arm around the girl and she blushed with pride. “Come; it’s only a short walk to Stuyvesant Square--we spend most of our time now at our country place at Babylon, but we’re in for this week’s rallies.” Vassar looked for Zonia and discovered her in deep converse with a smiling blond youth of fourteen, the sparkle of whose eyes made no secret of their interest. “My infant brother Billy--“ Virginia explained. “Indeed!” “They’re old friends.” “Evidently!” he laughed.