The Governor’s brow cleared and he rose with a smile.  “My dear, your reasoning is admirable, but we must leave my career to take care of itself.  Whatever I may be to-morrow, I am Governor of Midsylvania to-day, and my business as Governor is to appoint as Attorney-General the best man I can find for the place—­and that man is George Fleetwood, unless you have a better one to propose.”  She met this with perfect good-humor.  “No, I have told you already that that is not my business.  But I havea candidate of my own for another office, so Grace was not quite wrong, after all.”

“Well, who is your candidate, and for what office?  I only hope you don’t want to change cooks!”

“Oh, I do that without your authority, and you never even know it has been done.”  She hesitated, and then said with a bright directness:  “I want you to do something for poor Gregg.”

“Gregg?  Rufus Gregg?” He stared.  “What an extraordinary request!  What can I do for a man I’ve had to kick out for dishonesty?”

“Not much, perhaps; I know it’s difficult.  But, after all, it was your kicking him out that ruined him.”

“It was his dishonesty that ruined him.  He was getting a good salary as my stenographer, and if he hadn’t sold those letters to the ‘Spy’ he would have been getting it still.”

She wavered.  “After all, nothing was proved—­he always denied it.”

“Good heavens, Ella!  Have you ever doubted his guilt?”

“No—­no; I don’t mean that.  But, of course, his wife and children believe in him, and think you were cruel, and he has been out of work so long that they are starving.”

“Send them some money, then; I wonder you thought it necessary to ask.”

“I shouldn’t have thought it so, but money is not what I want.  Mrs. Gregg is proud, and it is hard to help her in that way.  Couldn’t you give him work of some kind—­just a little post in a corner?”

“My dear child, the little posts in the corner are just the ones where honesty is essential.  A footpad doesn’t wait under a street-lamp!  Besides, how can I recommend a man whom I have dismissed for theft?  I won’t say a word to hinder his getting a place, but on my conscience I can’t give him one.”

She paused and turned toward the door silently, though without any show of resentment; but on the threshold she lingered long enough to say:  “Yet you gave Fleetwood his chance!”

“Fleetwood?  You class Fleetwood with Gregg?  The best man in the State with a little beggarly thieving nonentity?  It’s evident enough you’re new at wire-pulling, or you would show more skill at it!”

She met this with a laugh.  “I’m not likely to have much practice if my first attempt is such a failure.  Well, I will see if Mrs. Gregg will let me help her a little—­I suppose there is nothing else to be done.”

“Nothing that we can do.  If Gregg wants a place he had better get one on the staff of the ‘Spy.’  He served them better than he did me.”