The Honorable Peter Stirling and What People Thought of Him Part 59

"No, I can't ask him, I don't want to cheapen him by making a show of him."

"Oh! I haven't that feeling about him. I----"

"I think you would understand him and see the fine qualities. But do you think others would?" Peter mentioned no names, but Leonore understood.

"No," she said. "You are quite right."

"You shall meet him some day," said Peter, "if you wish, but when we can have only people who won't embarra.s.s or laugh at him."

"Really, I don't know whom to select."

"Perhaps you would like to meet Le Grand?"

"Very much. He is just the man."

"Then we'll consider that settled. Are you free for the ninth?"

"Yes. I'm not going out this spring, and mamma and papa haven't really begun yet, and it's so late in the season that I'm sure we are free."

"Then I will ice the canvas-backs and champagne and dust off the Burgundy for that day, if your mamma accedes."

"Peter, I wanted to ask you the other day about that. I thought you didn't drink wine."

"I don't. But I give my friends a gla.s.s, when they are good enough to come to me. I live my own life, to please myself, but for that very reason, I want others to live their lives to please themselves. Trying to live other people's lives for them, is a pretty dog-in-the-manger business."

Just then Mrs. D'Alloi joined them. "Were you able to translate it?" she asked, sitting down by them.

"Yes, indeed," said Leonore. "It means 'Towards the right side,' or as a motto it might be translated, 'For the right side.'"

Mrs. D'Alloi had clearly, to use a western expression, come determined to "settle down and grow up with the country." So Peter broached the subject of the dinner, and when she hesitated, Leonore called Watts into the group. He threw the casting ballot in favor of the dinner, and so it was agreed upon. Peter was asked to come to Leonore's birthday festival, "If you don't mind such short notice," and he didn't mind, apparently.

Then the conversation wandered at will till Peter rose. In doing so, he turned to Leonore, and said:

"I looked the question of nationality up to-day, and found I was right.

I've written out a legal opinion in my best hand, and will deliver it to you, on receiving my fee."

"How much is that?" said Leonore, eagerly.

"That you come and get it."

CHAPTER XLII.

DOWN-TOWN NEW YORK.

Peter had not been working long the next morning when he was told that "The Honorable Terence Denton wishes to see you," "Very well," he said, and that worthy was ushered in.

"Good-morning, Denton. I'm glad to see you. I was going down to the Hall to-day to say something, but you've saved me the trouble."

"I know you was. So I thought I'd get ahead of you," said Denton, with a surly tone and manner.

"Sit down," said Peter. Peter had learned that, with a certain cla.s.s of individuals, a distance and a seat have a very dampening effect on anger. It is curious, man's instinctive desire to stand up to and be near the object for which anger is felt.

"You've been talking against me in the ward, and makin' them down on me."

"No, I didn't talk against you. I've spoken with some of the people about the way you think of voting on the franchises."

"Yes. I wasn't round, but a friend heard Dennis and Blunkers a-going over it last night. And it's you did it."

"Yes. But you know me well enough to be sure, after my talk with you yesterday, that I wouldn't stop there."

"So you try to set the pack on me."

"No. I try to see how the ward wants its alderman to vote on the franchises."

"Look a-here. What are you so set on the Hummel crowd for?"

"I'm not."

"Is it because Hummel's a big contractor and gives you lots of law business?"

"No," said Peter, smiling. "And you don't think it is, either."

"Has they offered you some stock cheap?"

"Come, come, Denton. You know the _tu quoque_ do here."

Denton s.h.i.+fted in his seat uneasily, not knowing what reply to make.

Those two little Latin words had such unlimited powers of concealment in them. He did not know whether _tu quoque_ meant something about votes, an insulting charge, or merely a reply, and feared to make himself ridiculous by his response to them. He was not the first man who has been hampered and floored by his own ignorance. He concluded he must make an entire change of subject to be safe. So he said, "I ain't goin'

to be no boss's puppy dog."

"No," said Peter, finding it difficult not to smile, "you are not that kind of a man."

"I takes my orders from no one."

"Denton, no one wants you to vote by order. We elected you alderman to do what was best for the ward and city, as it seems to you. You are responsible for your votes to us, and no other man can be. I don't care who orders you or advises you; in the end, you must vote yourself, and you yourself will be held to account by us."

"Yes. But if I don't vote as you wants, you'll sour the boys on me."

"I shall tell them what I think. You can do the same. It's a fair game between us."

"No, it ain't. You're rich and you can talk more."

"You know my money has nothing to do with it. You know I don't try to deceive the men in talking to them. If they trust what I tell them, it's because it's reasonable, and because I haven't tricked them before."

"Well, are you goin' to drive me out?"