An American Politician Part 5

"But one of you might be right," objected Joe.

"No--that is not conceivable," retorted Vancouver.

"No? Let us ask Mr. Harrington. Mr. Harrington!"

Joe turned towards John and called him. He was only a step from her, and joined the two instantly. He looked from one to the other inquiringly.

"Here is a great question to be decided, Mr. Harrington," said Joe. "I was saying to Mr. Vancouver that, supposing each of you a.s.serted that he was the greatest man on earth, it would--I mean, how could the point be settled?" John stared for a moment.

"If you insist upon raising such a very remarkable point of precedence, Miss Thorn," he answered calmly, "I am sure Vancouver will agree with me to leave the decision to you also."

Joe looked slightly annoyed. She had brought the retort on herself.

"Pardon me," said Vancouver, quickly, "I object to the contest. The match is not a fair one. Mr. Harrington means to be the greatest man on earth, or in the water under the earth, whereas I have no such aspiration."

Instead of being grateful to Vancouver for coming to her rescue in the rather foolish position in which she was placed, Joe felt unaccountably annoyed. She was willing to make sure of John herself, if she could, but she was not prepared to allow that privilege to any one else. Accordingly she turned upon Vancouver before John could answer. "The question began in a foolish comparison, Mr. Vancouver," she said coldly. "I think you are inclined to make it personal?"

"I believe it became personal from the moment you hit upon Mr. Harrington and me as ill.u.s.trations of what you were saying, Miss Thorn," retorted Vancouver, very blandly, but with a disagreeable look in his eyes. He was angry at Joe's rebuke.

John stood calmly by without exhibiting the least shade of annoyance. The chaff of a mere girl, and the little satirical thrusts of a lady's man like Vancouver, did not seem to him of much importance. Joe, however, did not vouchsafe any answer to Vancouver's last remark, and it devolved on John to say something to relieve the awkwardness of the situation.

"Have you become reconciled to our methods of amus.e.m.e.nt, Miss Thorn?" he asked, "or shall we devise something different from the everlasting sleighing and five o'clock tea, and dinner parties and 'dancing cla.s.ses'?"

"Oh, do not remind me of all that," said Joe. "I did not mean half of it, you know." She turned to John, and Vancouver moved away in pursuit of Sybil Brandon, who had just entered the room.

"Tell me," said Joe, when Poc.o.c.k was gone, "do you like Mr. Vancouver? You are great friends, are you not?" John looked at her inquiringly.

"I should not say we were very great friends," he answered, "because we are not intimate; but we have always been on excellent terms, as far as I know. Vancouver is a very clever fellow."

"Yes," said Joe, thoughtfully, "I fancy he is. You do not mind my having asked, do you?"

"Not in the least," said John, quietly. His face had grown very grave again, and he seemed suddenly absorbed by some thought. "Let us sit down,"

he said presently, and the two installed themselves on a divan in a corner.

"You are not in the least inquisitive," remarked Joe, as soon as they were settled.

"What makes you say that?" asked John.

"It was such a silly thing, you know, and you never asked what it was all about."

"When you called me? No--I did not hear what led up to it, and I supposed from what you said afterwards that I understood."

"Did you? What did you think?" asked Joe.

"I thought from the question about Vancouver that you wanted to put us into an awkward position in order to find out whether we were friends."

"No," said Joe, with a little laugh, "I am not so clever as that. It was pure silliness--chaff, you know--that sort of thing."

"Oh," e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed John, still quite unmoved, "then it was not of any importance."

"Very silly things sometimes turn out to be very important. Saul, you know--was not it he?--was looking for a.s.ses and he found a kingdom."

John laughed suddenly. "And so it is clear which part Vancouver and I played in the business," he said. "But where is the kingdom?"

"I did not mean that," said Joe, seriously. "I am not making fun any more.

I have not been successful in my chaff to-day. I should think that in your career it would be very important for you to know who are your friends. Is it not?"

"Certainly," said John, looking at her curiously. "It is very important; but I think political life is generally much simpler than people suppose.

It is rather like fighting. The man who hits you is your enemy. The man who does not is practically your friend. Do you mean in regard to Vancouver?"

"Yes."

"Vancouver never hit me, that I can swear," said John, "and I am very sure I never hit him."

"I dare say I am mistaken," said Joe. "You ought to know best. Let us leave him alone."

"With all my heart," answered John.

"Tell me what you have been doing, Mr. Harrington," said Joe, after a moment's pause; "all the papers are full of you."

"Yes, I have been rather in the pa.s.sive mood during the last week. I have been standing up to be shot at."

"Without shooting back? What are they so angry about?"

"The truth," said John, calmly. "They do not like to hear it."

"What is truth--in this instance?"

"Apparently something so unpleasant that the mere mention of it has roused the bile of every penny-a-liner in the Republican press. I undertook to demonstrate that one of the fifteen millions of the 'ablest men in the country,' whom you are always hearing about, is a swindler. He is, but he does not like to be told so."

"I suppose not," said Joe. "I wonder if any one likes unpleasant truths.

But what do you mean to do now? Are you going to fight it out? I hope so!"

"Of course, in good time. One can hardly retire from such a position as mine; they would make an end of me in a week and quarrel over my bones.

But the real fight will be fought by and by, when the elections come on."

"How exciting it must all be," said Joe. "I wish I were a man!"

"And an American?" asked John, smiling. "How are the mighty fallen! You were laughing at us and our politics the day before yesterday, and now you are wis.h.i.+ng you were one of us yourself. I think you must be naturally fond of fighting"--

"Fond of a row?" suggested Miss Thorn, with a laugh. "Yes, I fancy I am. I am fond of all active things. Are not you?"

"I do not know," said John. "I never thought much about it. But I suppose I should be called rather an active person."

"Is not she beautiful?" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Miss Thorn, looking across the room at Sybil Brandon, whose fair head was just visible between two groups of people.

"Who?" asked John, who was looking at his companion.

"Miss Brandon," said Joe. "Look at her, over there. I think she is the most beautiful thing I ever saw."