Again Kelly emitted his queer grunting laugh. "I guess he was a LEETLE afraid he would, too, and ran away and hid to get back his nerve."
"Oh, he's all right. He's a pushing, level-headed fellow, and won't make no trouble. Don't you think so?"
"Trouble? I should say not. How can he—if he takes the job?"
To which obvious logic no assent was necessary.
Davy's abrupt departure was for the exact reason Mr. Kelly ascribed. And he had taken Hugo with him because he feared that he would say or do something to keep the scandal from dying the quick death of all scandals. There was the less difficulty in dissuading him from staying to sun himself in the glories of his new rank and title because his wife had cast him adrift for the time and was stopping at the house of her father, whose death was hourly expected.
Old Hastings had been in a stupor for several weeks. He astonished everybody, except Dr. Charlton, by rousing on election night and asking how the battle had gone.
"And he seemed to understand what I told him," said Jane.
"Certainly he understood," replied Charlton. "The only part of him that's in any sort of condition is his mind, because it's the only part of him that's been properly exercised. Most people die at the top first because they've never in all their lives used their minds when they could possibly avoid it."
In the week following the election he came out of his stupor again. He said to the nurse:
"It's about supper time, ain't it?"