He's raked up an old scandal, an affair with a woman. It makes
my blood run cold to think of its possibilities."
"But Mr. Thatcher wouldn't do such a thing; he might threaten, but he
wouldn't really use that sort of weapon!"
"You don't know the man, Sylvia. He will risk anything to break Bassett
down. There's nothing respectable about Thatcher but his love for Allen,
and that doesn't redeem everything."
"But you won't let it come to that. You have influence enough yourself
to stop it. Even if you hated him you would protect Mrs. Bassett and the
children."
"I could do nothing of the kind, Sylvia. Now that I've left Bassett my
influence has vanished utterly. Besides, I'm out of politics. I hate the
game. It's rotten--rotten clean through."
"I don't believe it's quite true that you have lost your influence. I
read the newspapers, and some of them are saying that you are the hope
of your party, and that you have a large following. But you wouldn't do
that, Dan; you wouldn't lend yourself to such a thing as that!"
"I'm not so sure," he replied doggedly, angry that they should be
discussing the subject at all, though to be sure he had introduced it.
"A man's family has got to suffer for his acts; it's a part of the
punishment. I'd like to see Bassett driven out of politics, but I assure
you that I don't mean to do it.
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