Victoria held her breath.

“I’ve a slight acquaintance with him,” replied Mr. Crewe; “I’ve helped him along in one or two minor legal matters.  He seems to be a little —­well, pushing, you might say.”

“I want to tell you one thing about Austen,” continued Mr. Tooting.  “Although I don’t stand much for old Hilary, I’d take Austen Vane’s opinion on most things as soon as that of any man in the State.  If he only had some sense about himself, he could be governor next time —­there’s a whole lot that wants him.  I happen to know some of ’em offered it to him last night.”

“Austen Vane governor!” exclaimed Mr. Crewe, with a politely deprecating laugh.

“It may sound funny,” said Mr. Tooting, stoutly; “I never understood what he has about him.  He’s never done anything but buck old Hilary in that damage case and send back a retainer pass to old Flint, but he’s got something in his make-up that gets under your belt, and a good many of these old hayseeds’ll eat out of his hand, right now.  Well, I don’t want this to go any farther, you’re a gentleman,—­but Austen came down here yesterday and had the whole thing sized up by last night.  Old Hilary thought the Gaylords sent for him to lobby their bill through.  They may have sent for him, all right, but he wouldn’t lobby for ’em.  He could have made a pile of money out of ’em.  Austen doesn’t seem to care about money—­he’s queer.  He says as long as he has a horse and a few books and a couple of sandwiches a day he’s all right.  Hilary had him up in Number Seven tryin’ to find out what he came down for, and Austen told him pretty straight—­what he didn’t tell the Gaylords, either.  He kind of likes old Hilary,—­because he’s his father, I guess,—­and he said there were enough men in that House to turn Hilary and his crowd upside down.  That’s how I know for certain.  If Austen Vane said it, I’ll borrow money to bet on it,” declared Mr. Tooting.

“You don’t think young Vane is going to get into the race?” queried Mr. Crewe.

“No,” said Mr. Tooting, somewhat contemptuously.  “No, I tell you he hasn’t got that kind of sense.  He never took any trouble to get ahead, and I guess he’s sort of sensitive about old Hilary.  It’d make a good deal of a scandal in the family, with Austen as an anti-railroad candidate.”  Mr. Tooting lowered his voice to a tone that was caressingly confidential.  “I tell you, and you sleep on it, a man of your brains and money can’t lose.  It’s a chance in a million, and when you win you’ve got this little State tight in your pocket, and a desk in the millionaire’s club at Washington.  Well, so long,” said Mr. Tooting, “you think that over.”

“You have, at least, put things in a new and interesting light,” said Mr. Crewe.  “I will try to decide what my duty is.”

“Your duty’s pretty plain to me,” said Mr. Tooting.  “If I had money, I’d know that the best way to use it is for the people,—­ain’t that so?”