“Assisted?” said the vice-president, with a lifting of the heavy eyebrows.

“Yes.  It has been too unanimous.  I have a trustworthy man in Blount’s up-town office, and he says the invitations have fluttered in like autumn leaves; more than Blount could accept if he travelled continuously.  Kittredge’s men report that the speech-making has been a triumphant progress all over the State; bands, receptions, committees, and banquets wherever Blount goes.”

Mr. McVickar grunted.  “The speeches have been all that anybody could ask.  I’ve been reading them.”

Kittredge shook his head.

“Gantry says they are, but I say no,” he contended.  “There is such a thing as putting too much sugar in the coffee.  Blount’s overdoing it; he’s putting the whitewash on so thick that any little handful of mud that happens to be thrown will stick and look bad.”

“Of course, we have to take chances on that,” was the vice-president’s qualifying clause.  “Nevertheless, young Blount’s talk has undoubtedly had its effect upon public sentiment.  We must be careful not to let the opposition newspapers get hold of anything that would tend to nullify it.”

“They are moving heaven and earth to do it,” said the superintendent.  “The Honorable David is lying low, as he usually does, but I more than half believe he’s getting ready to give us the double-cross.  That is the explanation of this safe-blowing scrape, as I put it up.”

Again the vice-president failed to comment further on the burglary.  “What I am most afraid of, now, is that our young man may be, as you say, Kittredge, a trifle over-zealous,” he said musingly.  “We have discovered that he is something of a fanatic.”

“He’s more than that,” Kittredge cut in quickly.  “One of the men I’ve had following him—­Farnsworth—­is as good as any Pinkerton that ever walked.  He says Blount isn’t half so innocent as he looks and acts.  The speech-making has taken him into every corner of the State, and Farnsworth says he has been doing a lot of quiet prying around and investigating on the side.”

“I’ve been thinking,” Gantry added, “what a beautiful mix-up we should have if the senator and his son should both conclude to pull out and get together at the last moment.”

The master plotter shook his head.  “You have no sense of perspective, Gantry.  Young Blount is with us solely because he is too straightforward to countenance his father’s political methods.  On the other hand, if the Honorable Dave should turn upon us now, he would be obliged to do it at the expense of his son’s reputation.  Anything he could say against us would simply have the effect of holding his son up to public exprobration as a common campaign liar.  I know David Blount pretty well; he won’t do anything like that.”

Gantry bit his lip and a slow smile of respectful admiration crept up to the Irish eyes.

“When it comes to the real fine-haired work, you have us all feeling for hand-holds, Mr. McVickar,” he said.  “Now I know why you made a place for Evan Blount, and why you have been giving him a free hand on the whitewashing.  It’s the biggest thing that has ever been pulled off in Western politics!”