It was not such an imposing structure as he had fondly imagined, before which the cab stopped and set Mr. Johnson down.  But then he reflected that it was about the only house where he could find accommodation at all, and he was content.  In Alabama one learns to be philosophical.  It is good to be philosophical in a place where the proprietor of a cafe fumbles vaguely around in the region of his hip pocket and insinuates that he doesn’t want one’s custom.  But the visitor’s ardor was not cooled for all that.  He signed the register with a flourish, and bestowed a liberal fee upon the shabby boy who carried his bag to his room.

“Look here, boy,” he said, “I am expecting some callers soon.  If they come, just send them right up to my room.  You take good care of me and look sharp when I ring and you’ll not lose anything.”

Mr. Cornelius Johnson always spoke in a large and important tone.  He said the simplest thing with an air so impressive as to give it the character of a pronouncement.  Indeed, his voice naturally was round, mellifluous and persuasive.  He carried himself always as if he were passing under his own triumphal arch.  Perhaps, more than anything else, it was these qualities of speech and bearing that had made him invaluable on the stump in the recent campaign in Alabama.  Whatever it was that held the secret of his power, the man and principles for which he had labored triumphed, and he had come to Washington to reap his reward.  He had been assured that his services would not be forgotten, and it was no intention of his that they should be.

After a while he left his room and went out, returning later with several gentlemen from the South and a Washington man.  There is some freemasonry among these office-seekers in Washington that throws them inevitably together.  The men with whom he returned were such characters as the press would designate as “old wheel-horses” or “pillars of the party.”  They all adjourned to the bar, where they had something at their host’s expense.  Then they repaired to his room, whence for the ensuing two hours the bell and the bell-boy were kept briskly going.

The gentleman from Alabama was in his glory.  His gestures as he held forth were those of a gracious and condescending prince.  It was his first visit to the city, and he said to the Washington man:  “I tell you, sir, you’ve got a mighty fine town here.  Of course, there’s no opportunity for anything like local pride, because it’s the outsiders, or the whole country, rather, that makes it what it is, but that’s nothing.  It’s a fine town, and I’m right sorry that I can’t stay longer.”

“How long do you expect to be with us, Professor?” inquired Col.  Mason, the horse who had bent his force to the party wheel in the Georgia ruts.

“Oh, about ten days, I reckon, at the furthest.  I want to spend some time sight-seeing.  I’ll drop in on the Congressman from my district to-morrow, and call a little later on the President.”