“I can see that,” said Peter. “I do not for a moment expect that what you say to-day is in any sense a pledge. If a man’s honest, the poorest thing we can do to him is to tie him fast to one course of action, when the conditions are constantly changing. But, of course, you have opinions for the present state of things?” Something in Peter’s explanation or face pleased Mr. Porter. He demurred no more, and, for an hour before lunch, and during that meal, he talked with the utmost freedom. “I’m not easily fooled on men,” he told his secretary afterwards, “and you can say what you wish to that Stirling without danger of its being used unfairly or to injure one. And he’s the kind of man to be won by square dealing.” Peter had spoken of his own district “I think,” he said, “that some good can be done in the way of non-partisan legislation. I’ve been studying the food supplies of the city, and, if I can, I shall try to get a bill introduced this winter to have official inspections systematized.” “That will receive my approval if it is properly drawn. But you’ll probably find the Health Board fighting you. It’s a nest of politicians.” “If they won’t yield, I shall have to antagonize them, but I have had some talks with the men there, in connection with the ‘swill-milk’ investigations, and I think I can frame a bill that will do what I want, yet which they will not oppose. I shall try to make them help me in the drafting, for they can make it much better through their practical experience.” “If you do that, the opposition ought not to be troublesome. What else do you want?” “I’ve been thinking of a general Tenement-house bill, but I don’t think I shall try for that this winter. It’s a big subject, which needs very careful study, in which a lot of harm may be done by ignorance. There’s no doubt that anything which hurts the landlord, hurts the tenant, and if you make the former spend money, the tenant pays for it in the long run. Yet health must be protected. I shall try to find out what can be done.” “I wish you would get into the legislature yourself, Mr. Stirling.” “I shall not try for office. I want to go on with my profession. But I shall hope to work in politics in the future.” Peter took another day off, and spent a few minutes of it with the other most promising candidate. He did not see very much of him, for they were interrupted by another caller, and Peter had to leave before he could have a chance to continue the interview. “I had a call to-day from that fellow Stirling, who’s a delegate from the sixth ward,” the candidate told a “visiting statesman” later. “I’m afraid he’ll give us trouble. He asks too many questions. Fortunately Dewilliger came to see me, and though I shouldn’t have seen him ordinarily, I found his call very opportune as a means of putting an end to Stirling’s cross-examination.”