"The Ilingsworth case!" exclaimed Wilkinson; "always the Ilingsworth case! Some day, Governor, the Ilingsworth case will be your undoing. Some day----" Again there was an interruption. The private secretary pushed his way into the group. He was received by the Governor, with: "Phillips, I'm delighted you've come. There's the biggest mix-up here you ever saw. I don't understand it--nobody understands anything." He stopped short, for Phillips stood facing him with a curious expression on his countenance, and holding out a folded letter. "My resignation as your private secretary, Governor Beekman." "Resignation!" "My reasons are obvious, but they are nevertheless stated in that letter, and they will appear in the columns of the press to-morrow. It is quite beyond me to remain upon the staff of a man who ..." Phillips' voice quivered. He turned to the committee of three, and addressing them, said: "Gentlemen, much as I dislike to follow your instructions, I have, nevertheless, obeyed your _subpoena duces tecum_. In obedience thereto I hand you the papers that you came here to find. I found them, not here, but in the Governor's room at the Capitol. I think this is all you want of me." The chairman of the committee took the papers in question and read them, his associates looking over his shoulder; and when they had finished reading them they looked at each other with an expression on their faces, the meaning of which could easily be interpreted without the exclamatory assurance given by one of them: "By George! we've got the goods," highly illustrative of the situation as was that gentleman's phraseology. "Well?" The Governor was speaking now. For answer they handed him two letters, one of which read: _My dear Beekman_: I now concede that the inducement offered in our interview of yesterday was insufficient to justify you in acting in the suggested manner. Let me now say, however, that the situation has lifted itself out of the Ilingsworth case--we are fast climbing to a higher plane. The legislature will pass our Trust Company law, abolishing trust companies. I shall see to that. You must sign the bill--you must see to that. There is a step beyond. We need National legislation extending the power of National Banks--we need good men in the Senate. Let me be clear--these are the things we want: Wilkinson must be smashed. The first step toward that is the pardon of Ilingsworth, for the Ilingsworth case gets us public opinion--you can see that. Wilkinson has got to serve his term, otherwise he is a dangerous element. Pardon Ilingsworth, refuse to pardon Wilkinson, sign the Trust Company Bill--all this you can do for us. We can do much for you--beyond you lies the United States Senatorship, and beyond that, who knows.... A good New York man is in line for many things--if he's got the backing. You will have ours. Better burn this letter. Yours, etc., OUGHELTREE.