Speaker 1: This is section forty two of The Gilded Age. This
Speaker 1: LibriVox recording is in the public domain. The Gilded Age,
Speaker 1: A Tale of to Day by Mark Twain and Seedy Warner,
Speaker 1: Chapter forty two. Mister Buckstone's campaign was brief, much briefer
Speaker 1: than he supposed it would be. He began it proposing
Speaker 1: to win Laura without being one himself, But his experience
Speaker 1: was that of all who had fought on that field
Speaker 1: before him. He diligently continued his effort to win her,
Speaker 1: but he presently found that while as yet he could
Speaker 1: not feel entirely certain of having won her, it was
Speaker 1: very manifest that she had won him. He had made
Speaker 1: an able fight, brief as it was, and that at
Speaker 1: least was to his credit. He was in good company.
Speaker 1: Now he walked in a leash of conspicuous captives. These
Speaker 1: unfortunates followed Laura helplessly, for whenever she took a prisoner,
Speaker 1: he remained her slave. Henceforth, Sometimes they chafed in their bondage,
Speaker 1: sometimes they tore themselves free and said their serfdom was ended,
Speaker 1: But sooner or later they always came back, penitent and worshiping.
Speaker 1: Laura pursued her usual course, she encouraged mister Buckstone by turns,
Speaker 1: and by turns she harassed him. She exalted him to
Speaker 1: the clouds at one time, and at another she dragged
Speaker 1: him down again. She constituted him chief Champion of the
Speaker 1: Knobs University Bill, and he accepted the position, at first reluctantly,
Speaker 1: but later as a valued means of serving her. He
Speaker 1: even came to look upon it as a piece of
Speaker 1: great good fortune, since it brought him into such frequent
Speaker 1: contact with her. Through him, she learned that the honorable
Speaker 1: mister Trollop was a bitter enemy of her bill. He
Speaker 1: urged her not to attempt to influence mister Trollop in
Speaker 1: any way, and explained that whatever she might attempt in
Speaker 1: that direction would surely be used against her and with
Speaker 1: damaging effect. She at first said she knew mister true
Speaker 1: and was aware that he had a blank blank her
Speaker 1: private figure of speech for brother or son in law.
Speaker 1: But mister Buckstone said that he was not able to
Speaker 1: conceive what so curious a phrase as blank blank might mean,
Speaker 1: and had no wish to pry into the matter since
Speaker 1: it was probably private. He would nevertheless venture the blind
Speaker 1: assertion that nothing would answer in this particular case, and
Speaker 1: during this particular session. But to be exceedingly wary and
Speaker 1: keep clear away from mister Trollop. Any other course would
Speaker 1: be fatal. It seemed that nothing could be done. Laura
Speaker 1: was seriously troubled. Everything was looking well, and yet it
Speaker 1: was plain that one vigorous and determined enemy might eventually
Speaker 1: succeed in overthrowing all her plans. A suggestion came into
Speaker 1: her mind presently, and she said, can't you fight against
Speaker 1: his great pension bill and bring him to terms? Oh? Never.
Speaker 1: He and I are sworn brothers on that measure. We
Speaker 1: work in harness and our very loving I do everything
Speaker 1: I possibly can for him there. But I work with
Speaker 1: Might and Maine against his immigration bill as pertinaciously and vindictively, indeed,
Speaker 1: as he works against our university. We hate each other
Speaker 1: through half a conversation, and are all affection through the
Speaker 1: other half. We understand each other. He is an admirable
Speaker 1: worker outside the capital. He will do more for the
Speaker 1: pension bill than any other man could do. I wish
Speaker 1: he would make the great speech on it which he
Speaker 1: wants to make, and then I would make another and
Speaker 1: we would be safe well. If he wants to make
Speaker 1: a great speech. Why doesn't he do it? Visitors interrupted
Speaker 1: the conversation and mister Buckstone took his leave. It was
Speaker 1: not of the least moment to Laura that her question
Speaker 1: had not been answered, inasmuch as it concerned a thing
Speaker 1: which did not interest her, and yet human being like
Speaker 1: she thought, she would have liked to know an opportunity occurring. Presently,
Speaker 1: she put the same question to another person and got
Speaker 1: an answer that satisfied her. She pondered a good while
Speaker 1: that night after she had gone to bed, and when
Speaker 1: she finally turned over to go to sleep, she had
Speaker 1: thought out a new scheme. The next evening, at missus
Speaker 1: Gloverson's party, she said to mister Buckstone, I want mister
Speaker 1: Trollop to make his great speech on the pension bill,
Speaker 1: do you but you remember I was interrupted and did
Speaker 1: not explain to you. Never mind, I know you must
Speaker 1: make him make that speech. I very particularly desire it.
Speaker 1: Oh it is easy to say, make him do it?
Speaker 1: But how am I to make him? It is perfectly easy.
Speaker 1: I have thought it all out. She then went into
Speaker 1: the details at length. Mister Buckstone said, I see now
Speaker 1: I can manage it. I am sure. Indeed I wonder
Speaker 1: he never thought of it himself. There are no end
Speaker 1: of precedence. But how is this going to benefit you
Speaker 1: after I have managed it? There is the mystery lies,
Speaker 1: but I will take care of that. It will benefit
Speaker 1: me a great deal. I only wish I could see
Speaker 1: how it is the oddest freak. You seem to go
Speaker 1: the furthest around to get out a thing. But you
Speaker 1: are in earnest, aren't you. Yes, I am indeed very well.
Speaker 1: I will do it, But why not tell me how
Speaker 1: you imagine it is going to help you? I will
Speaker 1: by and by now there is nobody talking to him.
Speaker 1: Go straight and do it. There's a good fellow. A
Speaker 1: moment or two later, the two sworn friends of the
Speaker 1: pension bill were talking together, earnestly and seemingly unconscious of
Speaker 1: the moving throng about them. They talked an hour, and
Speaker 1: then mister Buckstone came back and said, he hardly fancied
Speaker 1: it at first, but he fell in love with it
Speaker 1: after a bit. And we have made a compact too.
Speaker 1: I am to keep his secret, and he is to
Speaker 1: spare me in future when he gets ready to denounce
Speaker 1: the supporters of the University bill. And I can easily
Speaker 1: believe he will keep his word on this occasion. A
Speaker 1: fortnight elapsed, and the university bill had gathered to itself
Speaker 1: many friends. Meantime, Senator Dilworthy began to think the harvest
Speaker 1: was ripe. He conferred with Laura privately. She was able
Speaker 1: to tell him exactly how the House would vote. There
Speaker 1: was a majority, the bill would pass unless weak members
Speaker 1: got frightened at the last and deserted, a thing pretty
Speaker 1: likely to occur. The Senator said, I wish we had
Speaker 1: one more good strong man now. Tralla ought to be
Speaker 1: on our side, for he is a friend of the Negro,
Speaker 1: but he is against us and is our bitterest opponent.
Speaker 1: If he would simply vote no, but keep quiet and
Speaker 1: not molest us, I would feel perfectly cheerful and content.
Speaker 1: But perhaps there is no use in thinking of that.
Speaker 1: Why I laid a little plan for his benefit two
Speaker 1: weeks ago. I think he will be tractable. Maybe he
Speaker 1: is to come here to night. Look out for him,
Speaker 1: my child. He means mischief. Sure it is said that
Speaker 1: he claims to know of improper practice having been used
Speaker 1: in the interest of this bill, and he thinks he
Speaker 1: sees a chance to make a great sensation when the
Speaker 1: bill comes up. Be wary, be very very careful, my dear,
Speaker 1: do your very ablest talking. Now. You can convince a
Speaker 1: man of anything when you try. You must convince him
Speaker 1: that if anything improper has been done, you at least
Speaker 1: are ignorant of it and sorry for it. And if
Speaker 1: you could only persuade him out of his hostility to
Speaker 1: the bill too. But don't overdo the thing. Don't seem
Speaker 1: too anxious, dear, I won't. I'll be ever so careful.
Speaker 1: I'll talk as sweetly to him as if he were
Speaker 1: my own child. You may trust me, indeed you may.
Speaker 1: The doorbell rang. That is the gentleman, now, said Laura.
Speaker 1: Senator Dilworthy retired to his study. Laura welcomed mister Trollop,
Speaker 1: a grave, carefully dressed, and very respectable looking man with
Speaker 1: a bald head, standing collar and old fashioned watch seals.
Speaker 1: Promptness is a virtue, mister Trollop, and I perceive that
Speaker 1: you have it. You are always prompt with me. I
Speaker 1: always meet my engagements of every kind, Miss Hawkins. It
Speaker 1: is a quality which is rare in the world than
Speaker 1: it has been. I believe, I wish to see you
Speaker 1: on business, mister Trollop, I judge, So what can I
Speaker 1: do for you? You know my bill, the Knobs University Bill. Ah,
Speaker 1: I believe it is your bill. I had forgotten. Yes,
Speaker 1: I know the bill. Well, would you mind telling me
Speaker 1: your opinion of it? Indeed, since you seem to ask
Speaker 1: it without reserve, I am obliged to say that I
Speaker 1: do not regard it favorably. I have not seen the
Speaker 1: bill itself, but from what I can hear it it well,
Speaker 1: it has a bad look about it. It speak it out,
Speaker 1: never fear well it. They say it contemplates a fraud
Speaker 1: upon the government, well said Laura Tranquility. Well I say
Speaker 1: well too. Well, suppose it were a fraud, which I
Speaker 1: feel able to deny. Would it be the first one
Speaker 1: you take a body's breath away? Would you? Did you
Speaker 1: wish me to vote for it? Was that what you
Speaker 1: wanted to see me about? Your instinct is correct. I
Speaker 1: did want you. I do want you to vote for it.
Speaker 1: Vote for a for a measure which is generally believed
Speaker 1: to be at least questionable. I am afraid we cannot
Speaker 1: come to an understanding, Miss Hawkins. No, I'm afraid not
Speaker 1: if you have resumed your principles. Mister Trollop. Did you
Speaker 1: send for me merely to insult me? It is time
Speaker 1: for me to take my leave, Miss Hawkins. No, wait
Speaker 1: a moment. Don't be offended at a trifle. Do not
Speaker 1: be offish and unsociable. The Steamship's subsidy bill was a
Speaker 1: fraud on the government. You voted for it, mister Trollop,
Speaker 1: though you always opposed the measure until after you had
Speaker 1: an interview one evening with a certain missus mac carter
Speaker 1: at her house. She was my agent, she was acting
Speaker 1: for me. Ah, that is right. Sit down again. You
Speaker 1: can be sociable easily enough if you have a mind
Speaker 1: to well. I am waiting. Have you nothing to say,
Speaker 1: Miss Hawkins. I voted for that bill because when I
Speaker 1: came to examine into it. Ah, yes, when you came
Speaker 1: to examine into it. Well, I only want you to
Speaker 1: examine into my bill. Mister Trollop. You would not sell
Speaker 1: your vote on that subsidy bill, which was perfectly right,
Speaker 1: but you accepted of some of the stock with the
Speaker 1: understanding that it was to stand in your brother in
Speaker 1: law's name. There is no pre I mean, this is
Speaker 1: utterly groundless, miss Hawkins. But the gentleman seemed somewhat uneasy. Nevertheless,
Speaker 1: well not entirely so. Perhaps I and a person whom
Speaker 1: we will call miss blank, never mind the real name,
Speaker 1: were in a closet at your elbow all the time.
Speaker 1: Mister Trollop winced. Then he said, with dignity, Miss Hawkins,
Speaker 1: is it possible that you were capable of such a
Speaker 1: thing as that it was bad? I can fess that
Speaker 1: it was bad, almost as bad as selling one's vote
Speaker 1: for But I forget. You did not sell your vote.
Speaker 1: You only accepted a little trifle, a small token of
Speaker 1: esteem for your brother in law. Oh, let us come
Speaker 1: out and be frank with each other. I know you,
Speaker 1: mister Trollop. I have met you on business three or
Speaker 1: four times, Drew. I never offered to corrupt your principles,
Speaker 1: never hinted such a thing, but always when I had
Speaker 1: finished sounding you, I manipulated through an agent. Let us
Speaker 1: be frank. Where this comely desires of virtue before the public.
Speaker 1: It will count there, but here it is out of place.
Speaker 1: My dear sir By and By. There's going to be
Speaker 1: an investigation into that National Internal Improvement Director's relief measure
Speaker 1: of a few years ago, and you know very well
Speaker 1: that you will be a crippled man as likely as
Speaker 1: not when it is completed. It cannot be shown that
Speaker 1: a man is a knave merely for owning that stock.
Speaker 1: I am not distressed about the National Improvement relief measure.
Speaker 1: Oh indeed, I am not trying to distress you. I
Speaker 1: only wished to make good my assertion that I knew you.
Speaker 1: Several of you, gentlemen, bought of that stock without paying
Speaker 1: a penny down receive dividends from it. Think of the
Speaker 1: happy idea of receiving dividends, and very large ones too,
Speaker 1: from stock one hasn't paid for, And all the while,
Speaker 1: your names never appeared in the transaction. If ever you
Speaker 1: took the stock at all, you took it in other
Speaker 1: people's names. Now, you see, you had to know one
Speaker 1: of two things. Namely, you either knew that the idea
Speaker 1: of all this preposterous generosity was to bribe you into
Speaker 1: future legislative friendship, or you didn't know it. That is
Speaker 1: to say, you had to be either a knave or
Speaker 1: ah well, a fool. There was no middle ground. You
Speaker 1: are not a fool, mister Trollop, Miss Hawkins. You flatter me,
Speaker 1: But seriously, you do not forget that some of the
Speaker 1: best and purest men in Congress took that stock in
Speaker 1: that way, did Senator Blank? Well, no, I believe not.
Speaker 1: Of course you believe not. Do you suppose he was
Speaker 1: ever approached on the subject. Perhaps not. If you had
Speaker 1: approached him, for instance, fortified with the fact that some
Speaker 1: of the best men in Congress and the purest et cetera,
Speaker 1: et cetera, what would have been the result, Well, what
Speaker 1: would have been the result? He would have shown you
Speaker 1: the door. For mister Blank is neither a knave nor
Speaker 1: a fool. There are other men in the Senate and
Speaker 1: the House whom no one would have been hardy enough
Speaker 1: to approach with that relief stock in that peculiarly generous way.
Speaker 1: But they are not of the class that you regard
Speaker 1: as the best and purest. No, I say, I know you,
Speaker 1: mister Trollop. That is to say, one may suggest a
Speaker 1: thing to mister Trollop which it would not do to
Speaker 1: suggest to mister Blank. Mister Trollop, you are pledged to
Speaker 1: support the indigent congressman's retroactive appropriation, which is to come
Speaker 1: up either in this or the next session. You do
Speaker 1: not deny that even in public. The man that will
Speaker 1: vote for that bill will break the eighth Commandment in
Speaker 1: any other way, sir, But he will not vote for
Speaker 1: your corrupt measure. Nevertheless, madam, exclaimed mister Trollop, rising from
Speaker 1: his seat in passion. Ah, but he will sit down
Speaker 1: again and let me explain why. Oh come, don't behave
Speaker 1: so it is very unpleasant. Now be good, and you
Speaker 1: shall have the missing page of your great speech. Here
Speaker 1: it is, and she displayed a sheet of manuscript. Mister
Speaker 1: Trollop turned immediately back from the threshold. It might have
Speaker 1: been gladness that flashed into his face. It might have
Speaker 1: been something else, but at any rate, there was much
Speaker 1: astonishment mixed with it. Good, where did you get it?
Speaker 1: Give it me now, there is no hurry. Sit down,
Speaker 1: Sit down and let us talk and be friendly. The
Speaker 1: gentleman wavered. Then he said, no, this is only a subterfuge.
Speaker 1: I will go. It is not the missing page. Laura
Speaker 1: tore off a couple of lines from the bottom of
Speaker 1: the sheet. Now, she said, you will know whether this
Speaker 1: is the handwriting or not. You know it is the handwriting. Now,
Speaker 1: if you will listen, you will know that this must
Speaker 1: be the list of statistics which was to be the
Speaker 1: nub of your great effort and the accompanying blast, the
Speaker 1: beginning of the burst of eloquence, which was continued on
Speaker 1: the next page. And you will recognize that there was
Speaker 1: where you broke down. She read the page. Mister Trollp said,
Speaker 1: this is perfectly astounding. Still, what is all this to me?
Speaker 1: It is nothing. It does not concern me. The speech
Speaker 1: is made, and there and end. I did break down
Speaker 1: for a moment, and in a rather uncomfortable place, since
Speaker 1: I had led up to those statistics with some grandeur.
Speaker 1: The hiatus was pleasanter to the house and the galleries
Speaker 1: than it was to me. But it is no matter
Speaker 1: now a week has passed. The jests about it ceased
Speaker 1: three or four days ago. The whole thing is a
Speaker 1: matter of indifference to me, Miss Hawkins. But you apologized
Speaker 1: and promised the statistics for next day. Why didn't you
Speaker 1: keep your promise? The matter was not of sufficient consequence.
Speaker 1: The time was gone by to produce an effect with them.
Speaker 1: But I hear that other friends of the soldier's pension
Speaker 1: bill desire them very much. I think you ought to
Speaker 1: let them have them. Miss Hawkins, this silly blunder of
Speaker 1: my copyist evidently has more interest for you than it
Speaker 1: has for me. I will send my private secretary to
Speaker 1: you and let him discuss the subject with you at length.
Speaker 1: Did he copy your speech for you? Of course he did.
Speaker 1: Why all these questions? Tell me? How did you get
Speaker 1: hold of that page of manuscript? That is the only
Speaker 1: thing that stirs a passing interest in my mind. I'm
Speaker 1: coming to that, then, she said, much as if she
Speaker 1: were talking to herself. It does not seem like taking
Speaker 1: a deal of unnecessary pains for a body to hire
Speaker 1: another body to construct a great speech for him, and
Speaker 1: then go and get still another body to copy it
Speaker 1: before it can be read in the house, Miss Hawkins,
Speaker 1: what do you mean by such talk as that? Why?
Speaker 1: I am sure I mean no harm, no harm to
Speaker 1: anybody in the world. I am certain that I overheard
Speaker 1: the honorable mister Buckstone either promised to write your great
Speaker 1: speech for you, or else get some other competent person
Speaker 1: to do it. Well. This is perfectly absurd, madam, perfectly absurd.
Speaker 1: And mister Trollop affected a laugh of derision. Why the
Speaker 1: thing has occurred? Before. Now, I mean that I have
Speaker 1: heard that congressmen have sometimes hired literary grubs to build
Speaker 1: speeches for them. Now, didn't I overhear a conversation like
Speaker 1: that I spoke of pshaw Why, of course you may
Speaker 1: have heard some such jesting nonsense. But would one be
Speaker 1: in earnest about so farcical a thing. Well, if it
Speaker 1: was only a joke, why did you make a serious
Speaker 1: matter of it? Why did you get the speech written
Speaker 1: for you and then read it in the house without
Speaker 1: ever having it copied. Mister Trollop did not laugh this time.
Speaker 1: He seemediously perplexed. He said, come play out your jest,
Speaker 1: Miss Hawkins. I can't understand what you are contriving, but
Speaker 1: it seems to entertain you, So please go on. I will,
Speaker 1: I assure you, but I hope to make the matter
Speaker 1: entertaining to you too. Your private secretary never copied your speech. Indeed, really,
Speaker 1: you seem to know my affairs better than I do myself.
Speaker 1: I believe I do. You can't name your own amanuensis,
Speaker 1: mister Trollop. That is sad. Indeed, perhaps miss Hawkins can,
Speaker 1: Yes I can. I wrote your speech myself, and you
Speaker 1: read it from my manuscript there. Now, mister Trollop did
Speaker 1: not spring to his feet and smite his brow with
Speaker 1: his hand, while a cold sweat broke out all over
Speaker 1: him and the color forsook his face. No, he only
Speaker 1: said good God, and looked greatly astonished. Laura handed him
Speaker 1: her commonplace book and called his attention to the fact
Speaker 1: that the handwriting there and the handwriting of this speech
Speaker 1: were the same. He was shortly convinced. He laid the
Speaker 1: book aside and said, composedly, Well, the wonderful tragedy is done,
Speaker 1: and it transpires that I am indebted to you for
Speaker 1: my late eloquence. What of it? What was all this for?
Speaker 1: And what does it amount to? After all? What do
Speaker 1: you propose to do about it? Oh? Nothing, It is
Speaker 1: only a bit of pleasantry. When I overheard that conversation,
Speaker 1: I took an early opportunity to ask mister Buckstone if
Speaker 1: he knew of anybody who might want a speech written.
Speaker 1: I had a friend, and so on and so on.
Speaker 1: I was the friend myself. I thought I might do
Speaker 1: you a good turn then, and depend on you to
Speaker 1: do me one by and by. I never let mister
Speaker 1: Buckstone have the speech till the last moment, and when
Speaker 1: you hurried off to the house with it, you did
Speaker 1: not know there was a missing page, of course, but
Speaker 1: I did. And now perhaps you think that if I
Speaker 1: refuse to support your bill, you will make a grand exposure. Well,
Speaker 1: I had not thought of that. I only kept back
Speaker 1: the page for the mere fun of the thing. But
Speaker 1: since you mention it, I don't know, but I might
Speaker 1: do something if I were angry. My dear miss Hawkins,
Speaker 1: if you were to give out that you composed my speech,
Speaker 1: you know very well that people would say it was
Speaker 1: only your raillery, your fondness for putting a victim in
Speaker 1: the pillory and amusing the public at his expense. It
Speaker 1: is too flimsy, Miss Hawkins, for a person of your
Speaker 1: fine inventive talent contrive an abler device than that. Come.
Speaker 1: It is easily done, mister Trollop. I will hire a
Speaker 1: man and pin this page on his breast and label
Speaker 1: it the missing fragment of the Honorable mister Trollop's great speech.
Speaker 1: Which speech was written and composed by Miss Laura Hawkins
Speaker 1: under a secret understanding for one hundred dollars, and the
Speaker 1: money has not been paid, And I will pin round
Speaker 1: about it notes in my handwriting, which I will procure
Speaker 1: from prominent friends of mine for the occasion. Also your
Speaker 1: printed speech in the Globe, showing the connection between it
Speaker 1: bracketed hiatus and my fragment. And I give you my
Speaker 1: word of honor that I will stand that human bulletin
Speaker 1: board in the rotunda of the capital and make him
Speaker 1: stay there a week. You see you are premature, mister Trollop.
Speaker 1: The wonderful tragedy is not done yet by any means.
Speaker 1: Come now, doesn't it improve? Mister Trollop opened his eyes
Speaker 1: rather widely at this novel aspect of the case. He
Speaker 1: got up and walked the floor and gave himself a
Speaker 1: moment for reflection. Then he stopped and studied Laura's face awhile,
Speaker 1: and ended by saying, well, I am obliged to believe
Speaker 1: you would be reckless enough to do that. Then don't
Speaker 1: put me to the test, mister Trollop. But let's drop
Speaker 1: the matter. I have had my joke, and you've borne
Speaker 1: the infliction becomingly enough. It spoils a jest to harp
Speaker 1: on it after one has had one's laugh. I would
Speaker 1: much rather talk about my bill, so would I. Now
Speaker 1: my clandestine ammanuensis compaired with some other subjects. Even your
Speaker 1: bill is a pleasant topic to discuss, very good. Indeed,
Speaker 1: I thought I could persuade you. Now I am sure
Speaker 1: you will be generous to the poor negro and vote
Speaker 1: for that bill. Yes, I feel more tenderly toward the
Speaker 1: oppressed colored man than I did. Shall we bury the
Speaker 1: hatchet and be good friends and respect each other's little secrets?
Speaker 1: On condition that I vote I on the measure with
Speaker 1: all my heart. Mister Trollop, I give you my word
Speaker 1: of that. It is a bargain. But isn't there something
Speaker 1: else you could give me too? Laura looked at him
Speaker 1: inquiringly a moment, and then she comprehended, oh, yes, you
Speaker 1: may have it now. I haven't any more use for it.
Speaker 1: She picked up the page of manuscript, but she reconsidered
Speaker 1: her intention of handing it to him, and said, but
Speaker 1: never mind, I will keep it close. No one shall
Speaker 1: see it. You shall have it as soon as your
Speaker 1: vote is recorded. Mister Trollop looked disappointed, but presently made
Speaker 1: his adieu and had got as far as the hall
Speaker 1: when something occurred to Laura. She said to herself, I
Speaker 1: don't simply want his vote. Under compulsion, he might vote
Speaker 1: I but work against the bill in secret for revenge.
Speaker 1: That man is unscrupulous enough to do anything. I must
Speaker 1: have his hearty co operation as well as his vote.
Speaker 1: There's only one way to get that. She called him
Speaker 1: back and said, I value your vote, mister Trollop, but
Speaker 1: I value your influence more. You are able to help
Speaker 1: measure along in many ways if you choose, I want
Speaker 1: to ask you to work for the bill as well
Speaker 1: as vote for it. It takes so much of one's time,
Speaker 1: Miss Hawkins, and time is money, you know, yes, I
Speaker 1: know it is, especially in Congress. Now, there is no
Speaker 1: use in you and I dealing in pretenses and going
Speaker 1: at matters in roundabout ways. We know each other disguises
Speaker 1: our nonsense. Let us be plain. I will make it
Speaker 1: an object to you to work for the bill. Don't
Speaker 1: make it unnecessarily plain. Please. There are little priorities that
Speaker 1: are best preserved. What do youse well this? She mentioned
Speaker 1: the names of several prominent congressmen. Now, she said, these
Speaker 1: gentlemen are to vote and work for the bill simply
Speaker 1: out of love for the Negro and out of pure generosity.
Speaker 1: I have put in a relative of each as a
Speaker 1: member of the university in corporation, they will handle a
Speaker 1: million or so of money officially, but will receive no salaries.
Speaker 1: A larger number of statesmen are to vote and work
Speaker 1: for the bill, also out of love for the Negro
Speaker 1: gentlemen of but moderate influence these, and out of pure generosity,
Speaker 1: I am to see that relatives of theirs have positions
Speaker 1: in the university with salaries, and good ones too. You
Speaker 1: will vote and work for the bill from mere affection
Speaker 1: for the Negro, and I desire to testify my gratitude
Speaker 1: becomingly make free choice. Have you any friend whom you
Speaker 1: would like to present with a salaried or unsalaried position
Speaker 1: in our institution? Well, I have a brother in law,
Speaker 1: that same old brother in law, you good unselfish provider.
Speaker 1: I have heard of him often through my agents. How
Speaker 1: regularly he does turn up. To be sure, he could
Speaker 1: deal with those millions virtuously and withal with ability too.
Speaker 1: But of course you would rather he had a salaried position.
Speaker 1: Oh no, said the gentleman. Facetiously, we are very humble,
Speaker 1: very humble in our desires. We want no money. We
Speaker 1: labor solely for our country and require no reward, but
Speaker 1: the luxury of an applauding conscience. Make him one of
Speaker 1: those poor, hard working unsalaried corporators, and let him do
Speaker 1: everybody good with those millions, and go hungry himself. I
Speaker 1: will try to exert a little influence in favor of
Speaker 1: the bill. Arrived at home, mister Trollop sat down and
Speaker 1: thought it all over. Something after this fashion. It is
Speaker 1: about the shape it might have taken if he had
Speaker 1: spoken it aloud. My reputation is getting a little damaged,
Speaker 1: and I meant to clear it up brilliantly with an
Speaker 1: exposure of this bill at the supreme moment, and ride
Speaker 1: back into Congress on the aclave. And if I had
Speaker 1: that bit of manuscript, I would do it. Yet it
Speaker 1: would be more money in my pocket in the end
Speaker 1: than my brother in law will get out of that incorporatorship,
Speaker 1: fat as it is. But that sheet of paper is
Speaker 1: out of my reach. She will never let that get
Speaker 1: out of her hands. And what a mountain it is.
Speaker 1: It blocks up by road completely. She was going to
Speaker 1: hand it to me once. Why didn't. She must be
Speaker 1: a deep woman, deep devil, that is what she is.
Speaker 1: A beautiful devil, and perfectly fearless too. The idea of
Speaker 1: her pinning that paper on a man and standing him
Speaker 1: up in the rotunda looks absurd at first glance, but
Speaker 1: she would do it. She is capable of doing anything.
Speaker 1: I went there hoping she would try to bribe me,
Speaker 1: good solid capital that would be in the exposure. Well,
Speaker 1: my prayer was answered. She did try to bribe me,
Speaker 1: and I made the best of a bad bargain and letter.
Speaker 1: I am checkmated. I must contrive something fresh to get
Speaker 1: back to Congress on very well. A bird in the
Speaker 1: hand is worth two in the bush. I will work
Speaker 1: for the bill. The incorporatorship will be a very good thing.
Speaker 1: As soon as mister Trollop had taken his leave, Laura
Speaker 1: ran to Senator Dilworthy and began to speak, but he
Speaker 1: interrupted her and said, distressfully, without even turning from his
Speaker 1: writing to look at her, only a half hour. You
Speaker 1: gave it up, early, child, However, it was best, it
Speaker 1: was best. I'm sure it was best and safest. Give
Speaker 1: it up. I the senator sprang up all a glow,
Speaker 1: My child, you can't mean that you. I've made him
Speaker 1: promise on honor to think about a compromise tonight and
Speaker 1: come and tell me his decision in the morning. Good,
Speaker 1: there's hope yet, that nonsense, Uncle. I've made him engage
Speaker 1: to let the Tennessee Land bill utterly alone, impossible, you.
Speaker 1: I've made him promise to vote with us, incredible absol
Speaker 1: I've made him swear that he'll work for us, pre posterous,
Speaker 1: utterly pre break a window, child before I suffocate, No matter,
Speaker 1: it's true. Anyway, Now we can march into Congress with
Speaker 1: drums beating and colors flying. Well, well, well, I'm sadly bewildered,
Speaker 1: sadly bewildered. I can't understand it at all. The most
Speaker 1: extraordinary woman that ever, it's a great day. It's a
Speaker 1: great day there there. Let me put my hand in
Speaker 1: benediction on this precious head. Ah my child, the poor
Speaker 1: Negro will bless, oh bother the poor negro. Uncle, put
Speaker 1: it in your speech. Good night, good bye, We'll marshal
Speaker 1: our forces and march with the dawn. Laura reflected awhile
Speaker 1: when she was alone, and then fell to laughing peacefully.
Speaker 1: Everybody works for me, so ran her thought it was
Speaker 1: a good idea to make Buckstone lead. Mister trollopon to
Speaker 1: get a great speech written for him, and it was
Speaker 1: a happy part of the same idea for me to
Speaker 1: copy the speech after mister Buckstone had written it and
Speaker 1: then keep back a page. Mister p was very complimentary
Speaker 1: to me when Trollop's break down in the house showed
Speaker 1: him the object of my mysterious scheme. I think he
Speaker 1: will say still finer things when I tell him the
Speaker 1: triumph the sequel to it has gained for us. But
Speaker 1: what a coward the man was to believe I would
Speaker 1: have exposed that page in the rotunda and so exposed myself. However,
Speaker 1: I don't know, I don't know. I will think a moment.
Speaker 1: Suppose he voted no. Suppose the bill failed, That is,
Speaker 1: to suppose this stupendous game lost forever that I have
Speaker 1: played so desperately for. Suppose people came around pitying me
Speaker 1: odious and he could have saved me by his single voice. Yes,
Speaker 1: I would have exposed him. What would I care for
Speaker 1: the talk that that would have made about me when
Speaker 1: I was gone to Europe with Selby and all the
Speaker 1: world was busy with my history and my dishonor it
Speaker 1: would be almost happiness to spite somebody at such a time.
Speaker 1: End of chapter forty two,