SWIFT: 

You once fought Stanford, too.

ESTEE: 

Enough of that—­
Give me the Interior and I’ll devote
My mind to agriculture and improve
The breed of cabbages, especially
The Brassica Celeritatis, named
For you because in days of long ago
You sold it at your market stall,—­and, faith,
’Tis said you were an honest huckster then. 
I’ll be Attorney-General if you
Prefer; for know I am a lawyer too!

SWIFT: 

I never have heard that!—­did you, De Young?

DE YOUNG: 

Never, so help me!  And I swear I’ve heard
A score of Judges say that he is not.

SWIFT (to Estee): 

You take the Interior.  I might aspire
To military station too, for once
I led my party into Pixley’s camp,
And he paroled me.  I defended, too,
The State of Oregon against the sharp
And bloody tooth of the Australian sheep. 
But I’ve an aptitude exceeding neat
For bloodless battles of diplomacy. 
My cobweb treaty of Exclusion once,
Through which a hundred thousand coolies sailed,
Was much admired, but most by Colonel Bee. 
Though born a tinker I’m a diplomat
From old Missouri, and I—­ha! what’s that?

(Exit Moon.  Enter Blue Lights on all the tombs, and a circle of Red Fire on the grass; in the center the Spirit of Broken Hopes, and round about, a Troupe of Coffins, dancing and singing.)

CHORUS OF COFFINS: 

        Two bodies dead and one alive—­
          Yo, ho, merrily all! 
        Now for boodle strain and strive—­
          Buzzards all a-warble, O! 
        Prophets three, agape for bread;
        Raven with a stone instead—­
          Providential raven! 
        Judges two and Colonel one—­
        Run, run, rustics, run! 
        But it’s O, the pig is shaven,
          And oily, oily all!

(Exeunt Coffins, dancing.  The Spirit of Broken Hopes advances, solemnly pointing at each of the Three Worthies in turn.)

SPIRIT OF BROKEN HOPES: 

      Governor, Governor, editor man,
Rusty, musty, spick-and-span,
Harlequin, harridan, dicky-dout,
Demagogue, charlatan—­o, u, t, OUT!
                    (De Young falls and sleeps.)

    Antimonopoler, diplomat,
    Railroad lackey, political rat,
    One, two, three—­SCAT!
                    (Swift falls and sleeps.)

Boycotting chin-worker, working to woo
Fortune, the fickle, to smile upon you,
Jo-coated acrobat, shuttle-cock—­SHOO!
                    (Estee falls and sleeps.)

    Now they lie in slumber sweet,
    Now the charm is all complete,
    Hasten I with flying feet
    Where beyond the further sea
    A babe upon its mother’s knee
    Is gazing into skies afar
    And crying for a golden star. 
    I’ll drag a cloud across the blue
    And break that infant’s heart in two!