"What?"

"Why, what he said as he was leaving. Before you came he'd been
here quite a while, and most of the time he talked of himself--"

Arkwright laughed, but Margaret only smiled, and that rather
reluctantly.

"And he was telling how hard a time he was having; what with
Stillwater's corruption and the President's timidity about really
acting against rich, people--something about criminal suits
against what he calls the big thieves--I didn't understand it, or
care much about it, but it gave me an impression of Mr. Craig's
power."

"There IS some truth in what he says," Arkwright admitted, with a
reluctance of which his pride, and his heart as well, were
ashamed. "He's become a burr, a thorn, in the Administration, and
they're really afraid of him in a way--though, of course, they
have to laugh at him as every one else does."

"Of course," said Margaret absently.

Arkwright watched her nervously. "You seem to be getting round to
the state of mind," said he, "where you'll be in danger of
marrying our friend Craig."

Margaret, her eyes carefully away from him, laughed softly--a
disturbingly noncommittal laugh.