Well, what would become of the poor people who had been led to put their

little money into the speculation, when you got out of it and left it

half way?"

It would be no more true to say of Mr. Bigler that he was or could be

embarrassed, than to say that a brass counterfeit dollar-piece would

change color when refused; the question annoyed him a little, in Mr.

Bolton's presence.

"Why, yes, Miss, of course, in a great enterprise for the benefit of the

community there will little things occur, which, which--and, of course,

the poor ought to be looked to; I tell my wife, that the poor must be

looked to; if you can tell who are poor--there's so many impostors. And

then, there's so many poor in the legislature to be looked after," said

the contractor with a sort of a chuckle, "isn't that so, Mr. Bolton?"

Eli Bolton replied that he never had much to do with the legislature.

"Yes," continued this public benefactor, "an uncommon poor lot this year,

uncommon. Consequently an expensive lot. The fact is, Mr. Bolton, that

the price is raised so high on United States Senator now, that it affects

the whole market; you can't get any public improvement through on

reasonable terms. Simony is what I call it, Simony," repeated Mr.

Bigler, as if he had said a good thing.

159

The Gilded Age