He instinctively turned to Virginia who was looking at him with curious interest. She spoke with genuine admiration: “I had no idea that any politician in America could win the hearts of his people in the way you hold yours--” “It’s worth while, isn’t it?” “Decidedly. It makes my regret all the more keen that you will not accompany me on my tour of the state--” “You go soon?” he asked. “I leave Monday morning for a month. It has been one of my dreams since we met that I’d win you--and we’d make a sort of triumphal tour together--” “You’re joking,” he answered lightly. “I know now that it is not to be, of course,” she said seriously. He hadn’t thought of her being on such a fool trip. Waldron no doubt as her campaign financier would meet her at many points. The thought set the blood pounding from his heart. “Shall we sit down a moment?” he suggested. “By all means if I can persuade you,” she consented. Behind a rich fir on the lawn stood a massive marble seat. They strolled to the spot and sat down. Hours of debate they had held here and neither had yielded an inch. A circular trellis of roses hid the house from view and sheltered the seat from the gaze of people who might be crossing the open space. The hedge along the turnpike completely hid them from the highway. By a subtle instinct she felt the wave of emotion from his tense mind. A long silence fell between them. Her last speech had given him the cue for his question. He had brooded over its possible meaning from the moment she had expressed the idea. He picked a pebble from the ground, shot it from his fingers as he had done with marbles when a boy. Lifting his head with a serious look straight into her brown eyes he said: “Did you believe for a moment that I could go with you on such a campaign tour?” She met his gaze squarely. “I thought it too good to be true, of course, and yet your unexpected sympathy and your--your--shall I say, frankly expressed admiration, led me into all sorts of silly hopes.” “And yet you knew on a moment’s reflection that such a surrender of principle by a man of my character was out of the question.” “It has turned out to be so,” she answered slowly. “Could you have respected me had I cut a complete intellectual and moral somersault merely at the wave of your beautiful hand?” “I could respect any man who yields to reason,” she fenced. He smiled. “I didn’t ask you that--” “No?” “You’re fencing. And I must come to the real issue between us. I do it with fear and trembling and with uncovered head. I had to be true to the best that’s in me with you for the biggest reason that can sway an honest man’s soul. I have loved you from the moment we met--” He stopped short and breathed deeply, afraid to face her. His declaration had called for no answer. She remained silent. From the corner of his eye he noted the tightening of her firm lips.