I tried to have my friends understand Douglas, as I understood him.  What was he doing in Congress now?  Trying to get appropriations for the rivers and harbors of Illinois.  “Won’t that ensure his reelection?” asked Abigail.  “Yes, but do we not need the harbors?” I replied.  “Why pursue Douglas with arguments like these?”

Abigail’s argumentativeness made me turn to Dorothy.  Did I want a wife who had such definite opinions about masculine questions such as these?  But now how to find Dorothy again?  She had been back and forth between Nashville and Reverdy’s.  We had exchanged only a few letters, with long silences between.  I began to depreciate myself for allowing Zoe or anything connected with her to thwart my will with reference to Dorothy.  These meetings with Abigail and these conversations and arguments had clarified my mind both as to Dorothy and as to Abigail.  I wanted Dorothy and I did not want Abigail.  This being the case why should I not go to Dorothy and tell her so?  If I went to her with the same will that I took up the matter of the farm, could I not win her?

It was not many days before I had the rarest opportunity in the world to go to Nashville upon an interesting mission.  Douglas suddenly appeared in Chicago.  The session of Congress was over.  He was going to Nashville to see Andrew Jackson.  He asked me to go with him; and I took this opportunity to see Dorothy.

CHAPTER XXXI

I had heard much of Jackson and all his works of wonder:  as the victor at New Orleans, the greatest hater of England, as the firm friend of the Union against the rebellion of South Carolina, as the foe of the bank, as the most picturesque figure in America.  He was living in retirement at Nashville.  And to see this man!  To see Douglas with him!  Abigail laughed at me for my enthusiasm.  But also I was to see Dorothy, and to make up my mind once for all—­rather, to get Dorothy to do so.

When we arrived in Nashville, making arrangements so that I should not miss the visit to Jackson’s house and the meeting between Douglas and Jackson, I went to see Dorothy.  Mrs. Clayton met me at the door.  She was greatly surprised.  But there was wonderful cordiality in her manner.  Dorothy was out for the time but would soon return.  In the meanwhile Mrs. Clayton was eager to hear about my life and about Chicago.  I told her more or less in detail the circumstances which had forced me to sell the farm.  As to Douglas, she was devoted to him for his defense of Jackson.  Jackson was a demigod to her and to the people of Tennessee.  She wished she could be present to see Douglas and Jackson meet.  Why could it not be arranged and for Dorothy too?  They all knew the General very well.  He had been a friend of Mr. Clayton’s.  Where was I stopping?  Would I like to come to their house?  My visit to Nashville was to be brief; besides I wished to be with Douglas.  She would like to entertain him too.  And thus we talked until Dorothy came in.