"I--I don't know what it was I had in my mind--guess I was thinking about something else." But the General smiled as though he understood. Then he went into the inner room, explaining that he wished to make himself presentable to the ladies. The chairman took a crafty survey of Harlan. "Between you and me, my boy," he said, getting back upon his old-time footing with Thornton's grandson, "the General has got both of my eyes put out, so far's his politics go. Did you hear him just rip into those ramrodders? And yet he's been stiffer and straighter than the worst of 'em since he struck this city. I'd like to know who in thunder he _is_ playing with, anyway! What does he say to you, on the side?" "You'd better get General Waymouth's plans from himself, Mr. Presson." "I'm not asking you to betray anything. But he's got a policy, of course. I only want to know it, so that I can grab in with him. But I can't figure anything, so far." "I thought he made himself pretty plain last night." "He made himself plain, I'll admit that. Plain that he's against everything that the party management stands for. But now he turns around and kicks out the other crowd! He's got to pick his gait and take a position somewhere!" "That's something I know nothing about, sir." The chairman grew testy. He felt that he was being played with. "Seeing that you're in close to the Amalgamated Order of Angels, you'd better drop him a hint that running a political campaign isn't like stampeding a convention. The State Committee stands ready to help, and before he gets much further along he'll find he needs the help. You'd better make that plain to him." His guest of honor reappeared then, and the chairman led the way. Harlan had been included in his invitation, and attended his chief. With old-fashioned gallantry, General Waymouth made his compliments to the ladies whom Mrs. Presson had assembled to grace the occasion. Her little crust of social earth had been tossed alarmingly by the political earthquake, but she felt that now she was finding safe footing once more. Thelismer Thornton was there, so were Senator Pownal and the secretary of the State Committee, and a few other favored ones whom the hostess had sought as being close to the new order of things. She led forward Linton. "And now, General, we're all wondering just how nice a compliment you'll pay to the orator whose eloquence makes you the next Governor of our State," chattered the good lady, poorly informed as to real conditions, but anxious to force a situation for her favorite. "Herbert has been so modest about it! We've been telling him just how grand we thought it was." "I thank you, Linton, for what you said." The General took the young man's hand. "You have wonderful gifts of eloquence." But there did not seem to be the enthusiasm which the importunate Mrs. Presson desired.