"Do you really think I can do it?" he asked slowly. "Do you think I am the best man for the job?"
Each of the committee assured him he was. They said he had given a good account of himself as assistant district-attorney, won influential friends in his daily life, and secured, through his political speech-making for Leighton, a strong following among the voters.
"Of course," persisted Luke, "it’s unnecessary to ask men of your standing that there shan’t be anything but clean politics in our campaign."
"My record is a guarantee of that," he said.
"No undue influence?" asked Luke. "No outside interests coming in to boss us or affect us in any way?"
"And I am to have an absolutely free hand?"
Luke’s lowered lids hid his eyes, but his eyes gleamed. Here, at last, was his Great Chance. Here was what he had lived and hoped for. He wanted to shout his war-cry, to go out and fight at once. Would he be worthy? The wing of that doubt brushed the farthest edges of his conscience, but he was young, and he did not heed it. He thought of all that he could do with this opportunity; and he thought, too, of Betty Forbes.
He had not seen much of Betty for some weeks. The lethargy that the slow process of his recent disillusionment flung over him, had left him despairing of her, kept her beyond his reach. But now he saw the way—saw that the way to win his ideals of honorable victory was also the way to win her.
He asked again a hundred questions, some that he had asked of his other counselors the night before and more that he had not: questions about purpose, ways-and-means, finances, organization, headquarters, district leaders, probable support, the temper of the public mind. To all of them he received sanguine answers.
"And your other candidates?" asked Luke. "The Mayor? Comptroller? President of the Board of Aldermen and the Borough Presidents?"
They gave him the names of known and honest men.
Luke stood up, but his air was the languid air that had become part of him.
"Good," he said, "of course, I’m pleased that you think of me as you do, and I accept."
§2. He would be a busy man now, but he must have that morning and afternoon to himself. However much he might want to start his campaign, he must make that visit to Wall Street, and after luncheon he intended to go to Betty.