was the first time I had ever even begun to discuss anything
intelligently with Polk.

"None in the world, Evelina," he answered with a nice, straight,
intellectuality showing over his whole face and even his lazy, posing
figure. "I remonstrated with James and Henry Carruthers both when they
used their influence to have the bonds voted and I told James it was
madness to invest in all that field and swamp property with just a
chance of the shops. The trouble was that James had always left all his
business to Henry, along with the firm's business, for a man can't be
the kind of lawyer James is, and carry the details of the handling of
filthy lucre in the same mind that can make a speech like the one he
made down in Nashville last April, on the exchange of the Judiciary.
James can be the Governor of this good State any time he wants to, or
could, if Henry hadn't turned toes and left him such a bag to hold--no
reference to Sallie's figure intended, which is all to the good if you
like that kind of curves!"

I took a moment to choose my words.

"The C. & G. is going to take that bluff route," I answered calmly from
somewhere inside me that I had never used to speak from before.

"Do you know anything of the character of Mrs. Joshua?" asked Polk,
admiringly, but slipping down from his intellectual attitude of mind and
body and edging an inch nearer. "Bet she had a strong mind or Joshua
never could have pulled off that sun and moon stunt."

"Do you know, Polk, there is one woman in the world who could--could
handle you?" I said, as a sudden vision of what Jane would do, if Polk