Barclay had retained his old office, not caring to make use of a room so permeated with associations of recent tragedy as was that which had formerly been Governor Abbott's. Now, with the windows open and the soft May air stirring the papers on his desk, he sat, looking vacantly across the room, with the huge petition spread out before him. His attention, long absorbed by the problem in hand, was diverted by a tap on the ante-room door, and, in answer to his call, Natalie Rathbawne stood before him, smiling out of the exquisite daintiness of a fresh spring frock.
"You've forgotten!" she said immediately, at sight of his knit brows.
"Forgotten what?" inquired the Governor inadvisedly.
The girl's little foot stamped almost noiselessly upon the thick carpet.
"Upon my word!" she exclaimed, "if there's one thing worse than being engaged to the Lieutenant-Governor, it's being engaged to the Governor himself! Forgotten, of course, that we are to lunch together, and look at wall-papers afterwards! Do you know, John Barclay, I don't believe you mean to marry me, after all? We'll be just approaching the altar, when"--
She was interrupted in characteristic fashion, and disengaged herself, with a great air of indignation, from Barclay's arms.
"If you want to take lunch in the company of a rag carpet," she said severely, "that's the very best way to go about it. Get your hat."
There was a little pause as Barclay filed some papers in his private safe, and then one startled word from the girl.
Wheeling abruptly, he saw her standing at the desk, with her hand on the petition, and her eyes, wide and wonderstruck, searching his face.
"Dearest!" he said impulsively, "I wish you hadn't."
"But I'm glad, Johnny boy," she answered, "glad--glad--glad! What a wonderful thing it is to be Governor, boy dear! I don't think I ever really understood before. Think of it! To have the power of life and death--to be able to right the wrongs of justice with a single stroke of the pen. Oh, John! Sign it now--before we go. I shall be so much happier."
The Governor made no reply. He stood, with his head bent, smoothing his hat with the fingers of his right hand. Gradually the expression of eager expectation on her face changed to one of anxiety.