The Honorable Peter Stirling and What People Thought of Him Part 67

"Is that you, Le Grand? Go right into my room."

"I've done that already. You see I feel at home. How are you?" he continued, as Peter joined him in the study.

"As always."

"I thought I would run in early, so as to have a bit of you before the rest. Peter, here's a letter from Muller. He's got that 'Descent' in its first state, in the most brilliant condition. You had better get it, and trash your present impression. It has always looked cheap beside the rest."

"Very well. Will you attend to it?"

Just then came the sound of voices and the rustle of draperies in the little hall.

"h.e.l.lo! Ladies?" said Le Grand. "This is to be one of what Lispenard calls your 'often, frequently, only once' affairs, is it?"

"I'm afraid we are early," said Mrs. D'Alloi. "We did not know how much time to allow."

"No. Such old friends cannot come too soon."

"And as it is, I'm really starved," said another personage, shaking hands with Peter as if she had not seen him for a twelve-month instead of parting with him but two hours before. "What an appet.i.te riding in the Park does give one! Especially when afterwards you drive, and drive, and drive, over New York stones."

"Ah," cried Madame. "_C'est tres bien_!"

"Isn't it jolly?" responded Leonore.

"But it is not American. It is Parisian."

"Oh, no, it isn't! It's all American. Isn't it, Peter?"

But Peter was telling Jenifer to hasten the serving of dinner. So Leonore had to fight her country's battles by herself.

"What's all this to-day's papers are saying, Peter?" asked Watts, as soon as they were seated.

"That's rather a large subject even for a slow dinner."

"I mean about the row in the Democratic organization over the nomination for governor?"

"The papers seem to know more about it than I do," said Peter calmly.

Le Grand laughed. "Miss De Voe, Ogden, Rivington--all of us, have tried to get Peter, first and last, to talk politics, but not a fact do we get. They say it's his ability to hold his tongue which made Costell trust him and push him, and that that was the reason he was chosen to fill Costells place."

"_I_ don't fill his place," said Peter. "No one can do that. I merely succeeded him. And Miss D'Alloi will tell you that the papers calling me 'Taciturnity Junior' is a libel. Am I not a talker, Miss D'Alloi?"

"_I_ really can't find out," responded Leonore, with a puzzled look.

"People say you are not."

"I didn't think you would fail me after the other night."

"Ah," said madame. "The quiet men are the great men. Look at the French."

"Oh, madame!" exclaimed Leonore.

"You are joking" cried Mrs. D'Alloi.

"That's delicious," laughed Watts.

"Whew," said Le Grand, under his breath.

"Ah! Why do you cry out? Mr. Stirling, am I not right?" Madame appealed to the one face on which no amus.e.m.e.nt or skepticism was shown.

"I think it is rather dangerous to ascribe any particular trait to any nationality. It is usually misleading. But most men who think much, talk little, and the French have many thinkers"

"I always liked Von Moltke, just for it being said of him that he could be silent in seven languages," said Le Grand.

"Yes," said Leonore. "It's so restful. We crossed on the steamer with a French Marquis who can speak six languages, and can't say one thing worth listening to in any."

Peter thought the soup all Jenifer had cracked it up to be.

"Peter," said Leonore, turning to him, "Mr. Le Grand said that you never will talk politics with anybody. That doesn't include me, of course?"

"No," said Peter promptly.

"I thought it didn't," said Leonore, her eyes dancing with pleasure, however, at the reply. "We had Mr. Pell to lunch to-day and I spoke to him as to what you said about the bosses, and he told me that bosses could never be really good, unless the better element were allowed to vote, and not the saloon-keepers and roughs. I could see he was right, at once."

"From his point of view. Or rather the view of his cla.s.s."

"Don't you think so?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Broadly speaking, all persons of sound mind are ent.i.tled to vote on the men and the laws which are to govern them. Aside from this, every ounce of brain or experience you can add to the ballot, makes it more certain.

Suppose you say that half the people are too ignorant to vote sensibly.

Don't you see that there is an even chance, at least, that they'll vote rightly, and if the wrong half carries the election, it is because more intelligent people have voted wrongly, have not voted, or have not taken the trouble to try and show the people the right way, but have left them to the mercies of the demagogue. If we grant that every man who takes care of himself has some brain, and some experience, his vote is of some value, even if not a high one. Suppose we have an eagle, and a thousand pennies. Are we any better off by tossing away the coppers, because each is worth so little. That is why I have always advocated giving the franchise to women. If we can add ten million voters to an election, we have added just so much knowledge to it, and made it just so much the harder to mislead or buy enough votes to change results."

"You evidently believe," said Watts, "in the saying, 'Everybody knows more than anybody?'"

Peter had forgotten all about his company in his interest over--over the franchise. So he started slightly at this question, and looked up from--from his subject.

"Yes," said Le Grand. "We've been listening and longing to ask questions. When we see such a fit of loquacity, we want to seize the opportunity."

"No," said Leonore, "I haven't finished. Tell me. Can't you make the men do what you want, so as to have them choose only the best men?"

"If I had the actual power I would not," said Peter.

"Why?"

"Because I would not dare to become responsible for so much, and because a government of the 'best' men is not an American government."

"Why not?"