"And what did the old snake in the grass want this time?"
The President glanced toward the door uneasily, sat down by her side and touched her hand:
"You should be more careful, Mother. Servants shouldn't hear you say things like that——"
The full lips came together with bitter firmness:
"I'll say just what I think when I'm talking to you, Father—what did he want?"
"He offered his resignation as my Secretary of the Treasury."
His wife sprang up with flashing eyes:
"And you?"
"Refused to accept it."
"O my Lord, you're too good and simple for this world! You're a babe—a babe in the woods with wolves prowling after you from every tree and you won't see them! You know that he's a candidate against you for the Presidency, don't you?"