“That’s what you said.  But—­”

“And I meant it,” Mr. Vane interrupted.  “I was never pledged to your candidacy, as a citizen.  I’ve been thinking over my situation some, this summer, and I’ll tell you in so many plain words what it is.  I guess you know—­I guess everybody knows who’s thought about it.  I deceived myself for a long time by believing that I earned my living as the attorney for the Northeastern Railroads.  I’ve drawn up some pretty good papers for them, and I’ve won some pretty difficult suits.  I’m not proud of ’em all, but let that go.  Do you know what I am?”

The Honourable Adam was capable only of a startled ejaculation.  Was Hilary Vane in his right senses?

“I’m merely their paid political tool,” Mr. Vane continued, in the same tone.  “I’ve sold them my brain, and my right of opinion as a citizen.  I wanted to make this clear to you first of all.  Not that you didn’t know it, but I wished you to know that I know it.  When Mr. Flint said that you were to be the Republican nominee, my business was to work to get you elected, which I did.  And when it became apparent that you couldn’t be nominated—­”

“Hold on!” cried the Honourable Adam.

“Please wait until I have finished.  When it became apparent that you couldn’t be nominated, Mr. Flint sent me to try to get you to withdraw, and he decreed that the new candidate should pay your expenses up to date.  I failed in that mission.”

“I don’t blame you, Hilary,” exclaimed Mr. Hunt.  “I told you so at the time.  But I guess I’ll soon be in a position where I can make Flint walk the tracks—­his own tracks.”

“Adam,” said Mr. Vane, “it is because I deserve as much of the blame as Mr. Flint that I am here.”

Again Mr. Hunt was speechless.  The Honourable Hilary Vane in an apologetic mood!  A surmise flashed into the brain of the Honourable Adam, and sparkled there.  The Honourable Giles Henderson was prepared to withdraw, and Hilary had come, by authority, to see if he would pay the Honourable Giles’ campaign expenses.  Well, he could snap his fingers at that.

“Flint has treated me like a dog,” he declared.

“Mr. Flint never pretended,” answered Mr. Vane, coldly, “that the nomination and election of a governor was anything but a business transaction.  His regard for you is probably unchanged, but the interests he has at stake are too large to admit of sentiment as a factor.”

“Exactly,” exclaimed Mr. Hunt.  “And I hear he hasn’t treated you just right, Hilary.  I understand—­”

Hilary’s eyes flashed for the first time.

“Never mind that, Adam,” he said quietly; “I’ve been treated as I deserve.  I have nothing whatever to complain of from Mr. Flint.  I will tell you why I came here to-night.  I haven’t felt right about you since that interview, and the situation to-night is practically what it was then.  You can’t be nominated.”

“Can’t be nominated!” gasped Mr:  Hunt.  And he reached to the table for his figures.  “I’ll have four hundred on the first ballot, and I’ve got two hundred and fifty more pledged to me as second choice.  If you’ve come up here at this time of night to try to deceive me on that, you might as well go back and wire Flint it’s no use.  Why, I can name the delegates, if you’ll listen.”