He had lost all
his old dogmatism, but not his pride. "I might as well be here as
anywhere, while I'm waiting," he said, "and then I'm getting some
knowledge of the details of official life."
In the face of this mystery I was surprised at finding a note from
him one day, inviting me to dine with him at a certain famous
restaurant. I had scarce got over my amazement, when the writer
himself overtook me at my hotel. For a moment I scarcely
recognized him. A new suit of fashionably-cut clothes had changed
him, without, however, entirely concealing his rustic angularity of
figure and outline. He even affected a fashionable dilettante air,
but so mildly and so innocently that it was not offensive.
"You see," he began, explanatory-wise, "I've just found out the way
to do it. None of these big fellows, these cabinet officers, know
me except as an applicant. Now, the way to do this thing is to
meet 'em fust sociably; wine 'em and dine 'em. Why, sir,"--he
dropped into the schoolmaster again here,--"I had two cabinet
ministers, two judges, and a general at my table last night.
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