“You sit down,” commanded Converse.  “This is a case where rules of the world can be suspended.  For I need the kind of man who dares to face even Symonds Dodd in his office and tell him what he is.  Oh, I have just come from there,” he explained in reply to Farr’s stare.  “He told me.”

“I went merely as a voice, sir.”

“But you seem to have been more than that in getting the confidence of the men in your ward.  I know an organizer when I see him.  I watched the faces of those men when you stepped before them.  They have faith in you.  That’s a rare quality—­the ability to inspire faith in the humble.  First, faith—­and then they’ll follow.  The movement I’m going to start needs followers, Mr. Farr!  Can you do with other men what you have done with men in the Eleventh?”

“I believe I can, sir.”

“Ah, you have led men in the past, have you?” Mr. Converse fired the question at him.  But he did not jump Walker Farr from his equipoise.  The young man took refuge behind that inscrutable smile.

“Well,” sighed the lawyer, after a pause, “it’s the dictum that one must be as wise as a serpent in politics, therefore I am picking out a man who will probably give a good account of himself.  But it’s a crazy performance of mine—­going into this thing—­and I may as well plunge to the extent of lunacy.  Mr. Farr, the rebellious unrest in this state must be organized.  We need a house-cleaning.  We need the humbler voters!  The men with interests are too well taken care of by the Machine to be interested.  I want you to go out and hunt for sore spots and get to the voters just as you have in your ward.  Find the right men in each town and city to help you.  You must know many on account of your work for your water association.  The fight will be financed—­you need have no worry about that.  Perhaps you have organized political revolts before,” pursued Converse, still craftily probing.  “Then you’ll tell me what honorarium you expect.”

“My expenses—­nothing more, sir.  If I had any money laid by I would pay my own way.”

“I think,” stated Mr. Converse, warming with the spirit of combat, glancing up at the portrait of the war governor, “that we’ll be able to surprise some of the fat toads of politicians in this state, sitting so comfortably under their cabbage-leaves.  You’re a stranger, young man, and as you go about your work the regular politicians will simply blink at you and will not understand, I hope, provided you go softly.  It is very silly of me to be in this affair, sir.  But a man of my age must have peace of mind, and that infernal meeting in your ward awoke me.  Furthermore,” he added, displaying the acrimony that even a good man requires to spur him to honest fighting, “a cheap politician only lately flipped my card insolently and referred in slighting tones to my honored father.”  He rose and gave Farr his hand.  “I’ll have assembled here in my office at ten o’clock to-morrow morning some gentlemen who will stand for decency in public affairs as soon as they have been waked up.  You will please attend that conference, Mr. Farr.  We have only a short month before the state convention, and we must bring there at least a respectable number of delegates whom Symonds Dodd cannot bribe or browbeat.”