the history of the crimes and the records of the two men.  He could make no promises—­he would see.  But in ten days, after allowing the petitions to gather considerable dust in one of his pigeonholes and doing absolutely nothing toward investigating anything, he issued two separate pardons in writing.  One, as a matter of courtesy, he gave into the hands of Messrs. Strobik, Harmon, and Winpenny, to bear personally to Mr. Stener, as they desired that he should.  The other, on Steger’s request, he gave to him.  The two committees which had called to receive them then departed; and the afternoon of that same day saw Strobik, Harmon, and Winpenny arrive in one group, and Steger, Wingate, and Walter Leigh in another, at the prison gate, but at different hours.

Chapter LVIII

This matter of the pardon of Cowperwood, the exact time of it, was kept a secret from him, though the fact that he was to be pardoned soon, or that he had a very excellent chance of being, had not been denied—­rather had been made much of from time to time.  Wingate had kept him accurately informed as to the progress being made, as had Steger; but when it was actually ascertained, from the Governor’s private secretary, that a certain day would see the pardon handed over to them, Steger, Wingate, and Walter Leigh had agreed between themselves that they would say nothing, taking Cowperwood by surprise.  They even went so far—­that is, Steger and Wingate did—­as to indicate to Cowperwood that there was some hitch to the proceedings and that he might not now get out so soon.  Cowperwood was somewhat depressed, but properly stoical; he assured himself that he could wait, and that he would be all right sometime.  He was rather surprised therefore, one Friday afternoon, to see Wingate, Steger, and Leigh appear at his cell door, accompanied by Warden Desmas.

The warden was quite pleased to think that Cowperwood should finally be going out—­he admired him so much—­and decided to come along to the cell, to see how he would take his liberation.  On the way Desmas commented on the fact that he had always been a model prisoner.  “He kept a little garden out there in that yard of his,” he confided to Walter Leigh.  “He had violets and pansies and geraniums out there, and they did very well, too.”

Leigh smiled.  It was like Cowperwood to be industrious and tasteful, even in prison.  Such a man could not be conquered.  “A very remarkable man, that,” he remarked to Desmas.

“Very,” replied the warden.  “You can tell that by looking at him.”

The four looked in through the barred door where he was working, without being observed, having come up quite silently.

“Hard at it, Frank?” asked Steger.

Cowperwood glanced over his shoulder and got up.  He had been thinking, as always these days, of what he would do when he did get out.

“What is this,” he asked—­“a political delegation?” He suspected something on the instant.  All four smiled cheeringly, and Bonhag unlocked the door for the warden.