“What are you going to do, sir?” she asked, afraid.

“I’m going to spoil all your little scheme, dear,” he returned, smiling sadly.  “I’m going, I fear, to make you lose all your money.  I’d like to make it easy for you, but I can’t.  You’ve got to take your medicine, children, and when it’s all over back there in Mississippi I shall be able, I hope, to patch up your broken lives, and together we will work out your mistakes.  I can’t think of that now.  The honor of the Langdons calls.  This is the time for the fight, and any one who fights against me must take the consequences.”

He walked over and touched the bell.

“Thomas,” he said to the servant who responded, “take that letter at once to Senator Peabody, in the library.”

“What is it, sir?” asked Randolph.

“It’s the call to arms,” responded his father grimly.

Senator Peabody read the letter to which Haines had signed Langdon’s name and jumped up from his chair in the library in astonishment.  Without a word to the startled Stevens he rushed to confront Langdon.

“What’s the meaning of this?” he shouted as he burst in on the junior Senator from Mississippi.

“Of what?” asked the Southerner, with a blandness that added fuel to Peabody’s irritation.

“Don’t trifle with me, sir!” cried “the boss of the Senate.”  “This letter.  You sent it.  Explain it!  I’m in no mood to joke.”

Langdon looked at him calmly.

“I think the letter is quite plain, Senator,” he said.  “You can read.”  Then he turned to his daughter.  “This discussion cannot possibly interest you, my dear.  Will you go to the drawing-room to receive our guests?”

Carolina obeyed.  She seemed to be discovering new qualities in this father whom she had considered to be too old-fashioned for his time.

“Now, Senator, go ahead, and, Randolph, you bring Stevens.”

“You’re switching to Gulf City?” demanded Peabody.

“I’m considering Gulf City,” agreed Langdon.

Peabody brought down his fist on the table.

“It’s too late to consider anything, Langdon,” he cried.  “We’re committed to Altacoola, and Altacoola it is.  I don’t care what you heard of Gulf City.  Now, I’d like to settle this thing in a friendly manner, Langdon.  I like always for every member of the Senate to have his share of the power and the patronage.  We’ve been glad to put you forward in this naval base matter.  We appreciate the straightforwardness, the honesty of your character.  You look well.  You’re the kind of politician the public thinks it wants nowadays, but you’ve been in the Senate long enough to know that bills have to pass, and you know you can’t get through anything without my friends, and I tell you now I’ll throttle any Gulf City plan you bring up.”

“Then if you are as sure of that you can’t object to my being for Gulf City?” asked Langdon.

“Are you financially interested in Gulf City?” demanded Peabody.