He found Senator Blundel in his committee-room, sitting at the green-covered table, looking over some papers. He was a short, stout man, with a blunt-featured face, grayish hair, which had a tendency to stand on end, and small, shrewd eyes. When he had been in the House, his rising to his feet had generally been the signal for his fellow-members to bestir themselves and turn to listen, as it was his habit to display a sharp humor, of a rough-and-ready sort. Richard had always felt this humor coarse, and, having but little confidence in Blundel's possessing any other qualification for his position, regarded it as rather trying that circumstances should have combined to render his sentiments of such importance in the present crisis. Looking at the thick-set figure and ordinary face he felt that Planefield had been right, and that Bertha might have done much with him, principally because he presented himself as one of the obstacles whose opinions should be formed for them all the more on account of their obstinacy when once biassed in a wrong direction. But there was no suggestion of these convictions in his manner when he spoke. It was very graceful and ready, and his strong points of good-breeding and mental agility stood him in good stead. The man before him, whose early social advantages had not been great, was not too dull to feel the influence of the first quality, and find himself placed at a secretly acknowledged disadvantage by it. After he had heard his name his small, sharp eyes fixed themselves on his visitor's handsome countenance, with an expression not easy to read. "It is not necessary for me to make a new statement of our case," said Richard, easily. "I won't fatigue you and occupy your time by repeating what you have already heard stated in the clearest possible manner by Senator Planefield." Blundel thrust his hands into his pockets and nodded. "Yes," he responded. "I saw Planefield, and he said a good deal about it." "Which, of course, you have reflected upon?" said Richard. "Well, yes. I've thought it over--along with other things." "I trust favorably," Richard suggested. Blundel stretched his legs a little and pushed his hands further down into his pockets. "Now, what would you call favorably?" he inquired. "Oh," replied Richard, with a self-possessed promptness, "favorably to the connecting branch." It was rather a fine stroke, this airy candor, but he had studied it beforehand thoroughly and calculated its effect. It surprised Blundel into looking up at him quickly. "You would, eh?" he said; "let us hear why." "Because," Richard stated, "that would make it favorable to us." Blundel was beguiled into a somewhat uneasy laugh. "Well," he remarked, "you're frank enough." Richard fixed upon him an open, appreciative glance.