Hawley felt that this was taking an unfair advantage of him, inasmuch as the promise which he had given had been a tentative one. He was not sure, though, that he was not going to return to New York the following day as she desired; for the arguments which he had heard, and the stirring events of that evening, had made such an impression on him that he was seriously thinking of giving up the undertaking. The thought of returning to the White House with a report of failure was not a pleasant one, but he wished to do what was right in the matter. The bitter remark of Señora Felix that selfish ambition was the sole motive of his mission to Baracoa had got under his skin. Being an exceedingly fair-minded man, he could not help asking himself whether there was not some justice in her accusation. The President of the United States had not taken him into his confidence as to what he purposed to do in the event of the Camera Chap’s being successful in getting the photographic evidence of Portiforo’s rascality. He had instructed Hawley merely to get the picture and bring it to the White House, giving no hint of what measures he intended to employ to prevent Portiforo from wreaking summary vengeance on his victim. Hawley knew that the present incumbent of the White House was a man of but scant sentiment, and he could not help wondering whether the great man, satisfying his conscience with the argument that individuals could not be considered when public policy was concerned, was not ruthlessly willing to sacrifice poor President Felix in order to bring about the exposure of Portiforo and a welcome change in the administration of Baracoa. But, on the other hand, the Camera Chap was reluctant to believe that this could be his distinguished employer’s attitude. However lacking the President of the United States might be in sentiment, he had the reputation of being an eminently just man. Besides, was not Señora Felix the intimate friend of the wife of a member of his cabinet? Which made it very unlikely that the president would have taken this step unless he had up his sleeve some plan for protecting President Felix from the murderous impulses of the conspirators. These conflicting thoughts left the Camera Chap in a very unsettled frame of mind. He conscientiously sought to put aside his own wishes in the matter. As the señora had bitterly stated, it would be a great feather in his cap to get that picture--the most notable achievement of his whole career; but he was prepared to give it up, provided he was satisfied that such a course would be for the best, so far as Felix was concerned. For the martyr of El Torro was the only man to be considered. The Camera Chap was fully resolved as to that. If the photographic evidence of the monstrous conspiracy could not be obtained without fatal results to the victim, it would be better, he decided, to leave things as they were.