"I suppose you have spoken to her?"
"Yes, I have. Of course I have!" cried Forbes.
"And what does she say?"
Forbes tried to take Luke's hand.
"Why do you act this way?" he pleaded. "Why can't you wait? They haven't nominated you yet. Withdraw your name. That won't hurt the League, and it will only make you all the stronger for the next time; and by the next time we'll be ready to meet all opposition. This time you can't be elected even if you are nominated. Why do you want to jump into the fire?"
"What," insisted Luke, "does Betty say?"
She was at the door. She came in as he asked the question. She looked from her lover to her father, and then she ran to her father and put her head on his shoulder.
§6. Luke took a short breath. He wanted to leave them. He felt that he could not face much more. He wondered what Forbes had said to her and how much she had heard of what Forbes and he were saying.
"Betty!" said her father. He patted her head. Luke thought that the caressing hand looked old. "Betty!"
She spoke with her face hidden: