“No hurry, Alvy—­n-no hurry.  H-Honorable Alvy Hopkins of Gosport—­p-patron of the theatre.  Hain’t the first time you’ve b’en a patron, Alvy.”

“Jethro,” said Mr. Hopkins, solemnly, putting up his money, “I’m much obliged to you.  I’m free to say I’d never have thought of it.  If you ain’t the all-firedest smartest man in America to-day,—­I don’t except any, even General Grant,—­then I ain’t the next governor of this state.”

Whereupon he lapsed into an even more expressive silence, his face still glowing.

“Er—­Alvy,” said Jethro presently, “what’s the name of your gal?”

“Well,” said Mr. Hopkins, “I guess you’ve got me.  We did christen her Lily, but she didn’t turn out exactly Lily.  She ain’t the type,” said Mr. Hopkins, slowly, not without a note of regret, and lapsed into silence.

“W-what did you say her name was, Alvy?”

“I guess her name’s Cassandra,” said the Honorable Alva.

“C-Cassandry?”

“Well, you see,” he explained a trifle apologetically, “she’s kind of taken some matters in her own hands, my gal.  Didn’t like Lily, and it didn’t seem to fit her anyway, so she called herself Cassandra.  Read it in a book.  It means, ‘inspirer of love,’ or some such poetry, but I don’t deny that it goes with her better than Lily would.”

“Sh-she’s a good deal of a gal, Alvy—­fine-appearin’ gal, Alvy.”

“Upon my word, Jethro, I didn’t know you ever looked at a woman.  But I suppose you couldn’t help lookin’ at my gal—­she does seem to draw men’s eyes as if she was magnetized some way.”  Mr. Hopkins did not speak as though this quality of his daughter gave him unmixed delight.  “But she’s a good-hearted gal, Cassy is, high-spirited, and I won’t deny she’s handsome and smart.”

“She’ll kind of grace my position when I’m governor.  But to tell you the truth, Jethro, one old friend to another, durned if I don’t wish she was married.  It’s a terrible thing for a father to say, I know, but I’d feel easier about her if she was married to some good man who could hold her.  There’s young Joe Turner in Gosport, he’d give his soul to have her, and he’d do.  Cassy says she’s after bigger game than Joe.  She’s young—­that’s her only excuse.  Funny thing happened night before last,” continued Mr. Hopkins, laughing.  “Lovejoy saw her, and he’s b’en out of his head ever since.  Al must be pretty near my age, ain’t he?  Well, there’s no fool like an old fool.”

“A-Alvy introduce me to Cassandry sometime will you?”

“Why, certainly,” answered Mr. Hopkins, heartily, “I’ll bring her in here.  And now how about gettin’ an adjournment to-morrow night for ’Uncle Tom’s Cabin’?  These night sessions kind of interfere.”