To this Luke agreed. He began to speak and, as he saw the busy pencils noting his best phrases upon sheets of roughly-folded copy-paper, he fell into stride with his subject. He declared that the League meant to put an end to the influence of Big Business in municipal politics, and, although he mentioned no names, it was evident what big business men he had in mind. The reporters tried to make him mention names, but their efforts only seemed to restore his caution. They urged him to be specific in his charges against the present administration of the District-Attorney’s office; but here again they encountered the impassive side of Luke with which they were more familiar. "No, no," said Luke; "there may be a time for all that, but this isn’t the time. Just wind up by saying we mean, once and for all, to put Wall Street out of politics and graft out of the administration of justice in New York City and to keep them out, if we have to send every financier and every policeman to jail." §3. The reporters made all that they could of what Luke gave them, and the next morning’s papers were full of it. Leighton, on his way downtown, read them with anger against Luke and annoyance with himself for losing a man that might have been so valuable to him. He began to be afraid of the effect of Huber’s implications regarding the District-Attorney’s office. Remembering that his party was in no position to risk putting up a weak candidate, he telephoned to George J. Hallett and was granted an interview: he said he knew of the letters in Luke’s possession and knew how Luke came by them. Hallett, whose office was almost the counterpart of that in which he consulted with his master and Rivington, sprawled in a deeply upholstered chair. He smoked steadily at a cigar, and when the letters were mentioned, he accepted the mention with complete composure. "Who else knows about ’em?" he frankly inquired. "Nobody," said Leighton—"unless Huber’s been talking." "He’s got ’em, hasn’t he?" "Had them the last time I saw him." "Anyway, you haven’t ’em?" "No, of course, I haven’t." Hallett took his cigar from his mouth; he looked at the cigar, and from it to Leighton. "I don’t see what use _you_ are to us, then," he said. Leighton understood that the only satisfactory way to deal with this man was the direct way. "I can’t be any use to you except to tell you where the leak is these letters came through." "What do you want us to do for you?" "I want your support at election time." "Can’t promise it. The other side has just as good a claim on us." "Heney?" "An’ the whole Democratic organization, yes." "Would you promise not to interfere on either side?" "Can’t do it. You see, you haven’t got much to sell." Leighton ran his fingers through his black hair. "Look here, Mr. Hallett," he began again, "we don’t know each other personally——" "That’s all right," said Hallett.