"Well, no," said Venable, "it didn’t. It is all right now, but I am bound to tell you that a little opposition had developed against you. We overcame it, but it was there and from some men that we had every reason to believe would support you. I don’t understand it, Mr. Huber; it was mysterious." "I’m coming right down," said Luke. At headquarters he learned little more. The committee had met with no indication of approaching trouble. Save for two or three persons whose means of livelihood were the practical organization of reform political movements, nearly all the members were business men, in small but sound industries, each of unquestioned probity. The candidates slated for every other post were accepted as a matter of course; but when Luke’s name was brought up by Venable for the district-attorneyship, one of the politicians and several of the business men opposed acceptance. They were dogged, but vague. The politician at last spoke of Luke as having courted too much animosity from the upper regions of finance. "He has talked too wild," said this one. "He oughtn’t to have threatened till after election. Of course, I know what he’s got to do if he’s elected, but he needn’t have begun it beforehand. I haven’t got anything against him, but he’s shown his hand too soon, and so he won’t make a good candidate." The business men spoke much as Forbes had spoken. The Municipal Reform League was a radical organization, but it ought to be radical within reason. Huber’s public utterances had been too sweepingly radical. They feared him; they thought him too hot-headed. He was still too young. In pursuing Big Business, he was sure to trample smaller, legitimate business; he would upset credit. The majority of the committee was loyal to Luke and had its way. Luke received the nomination, but such dissenters as were converted came to him half-heartedly, and two of the timorous business men withdrew from the organization. "Then, there is Yeates, too," said Venable. "He wasn’t at the meeting, but he telephoned he was coming here to see you about this time, and I gathered that he isn’t in a particularly pleasant frame of mind." Luke thought of Venable’s long years of battle for reform. "You know what’s at the back of all this?" he said. "I think I do," said Venable. "I mean: you know _who’s_ back of it?" "I can guess. Your published attack was rather clear, Mr. Huber." "Then, are you and the League prepared to go right ahead?" "Yes, we are." "You, too? You individually?" Venable’s old eyes glittered. "I always suspected these people," he said. "I always felt sure they were against us. They were never so strongly against us as they are now, but their being so much more against us now only makes me the more certain that what we are doing is right." "They have a good deal of power, Mr. Venable."