teeth and tore its wig in impotent fury in corridor and hall. For seven
hours the gifted Gashwiler had continued the manufacture of oil
and honey, whose sweetness, however, was slowly palling upon the
congressional lip; for seven hours Roscommon and friends beat with
impatient feet the lobby, and shook fists, more or less discolored, at
the distinguished Senator. For seven hours the one or two editors were
obliged to sit and calmly compliment the great speech which that night
flashed over the wires of a continent with the old electric thrill. And,
worse than all, they were obliged to record with it the closing of the
---- Congress, with more than the usual amount of Unfinished Business.
A little group of friends surrounded the great Senator with hymns of
praise and congratulations. Old adversaries saluted him courteously as
they passed by with the respect of strong men. A little woman with a
shawl drawn over her shoulders, and held with one small brown hand,
approached him timidly:
"I speak not the English well," she said gently, "but I have read much.
I have read in the plays of your Shakspeare. I would like to say to
you the words of Rosalind to Orlando when he did fight: 'Sir you have
wrestled well, and have overthrown more than your enemies.'" And with
these words she was gone.
Yet not so quickly but that pretty Mrs. Hopkinson, coming,--as Victrix
always comes to Victor, to thank the great Senator, albeit the faces of
her escorts were shrouded in gloom,--saw the shawled figure disappear.
"There," she said, pinching Wiles mischievously, "there! that's the
woman you were afraid of. Look at her. Look at that dress. Ah, Heavens!
look at that shawl. Didn't I tell you she had no style?"
"Who is she?" said Wiles sullenly.
"Carmen de Haro, of course," said the lady vivaciously. "What are you
hurrying away so for? You're absolutely pulling me along."
Mr. Wiles had just caught sight of the travel-worn face of Royal
Thatcher among the crowd that thronged the stair-case. Thatcher appeared
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