I was intending a visit to Europe this
very summer."
"Sir, there is no other man owner both of the skill and courage to
handle this matter. I hesitated to put it before you, but the
method you suggest seems almost plausible. I trust you to make it
appear wholly so to the fair lady herself."
"We might be younger and fare better at that sort of thing."
"Altogether to the contrary, my friend! Do not mistake this lady.
Youth would be an absolute bar to success. Age, dignity, a public
reputation such as yours,--these are the only things which by any
possibility could gain success; and, frankly, even these may fail.
At least, I honestly wish you success, and there has been no jest
in what I said about the support of Mr. Fillmore's family and his
party. You know that there is honesty even in politics, sometimes;
and there is silence, I promise that. Take my advice. Put her in
a sack, drop her overboard in mid-ocean. In return, all I ask of
you is not to throw overboard the sack anywhere close to this
country's shore! It was done once before, on the Ohio River, but
the sack was not tied tightly enough.
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