note or a receipt from the man he is to convey it to in the distant town.

It would be at least singular in you to say to the proposed conveyor,

You might be robbed; I will deposit the money in a bank and send a check

for it to my friend through the mail."

Very well. It being plain that Senator Dilworthy's statement was rigidly

true, and this fact being strengthened by his adding to it the support of

"his honor as a Senator," the Committee rendered a verdict of "Not proven

that a bribe had been offered and accepted." This in a manner exonerated

Noble and let him escape.

The Committee made its report to the Senate, and that body proceeded to

consider its acceptance. One Senator indeed, several Senators--objected

that the Committee had failed of its duty; they had proved this man Noble

guilty of nothing, they had meted out no punishment to him; if the report

were accepted, he would go forth free and scathless, glorying in his

crime, and it would be a tacit admission that any blackguard could insult

the Senate of the United States and conspire against the sacred

reputation of its members with impunity; the Senate owed it to the

upholding of its ancient dignity to make an example of this man Noble

--he should be crushed.

An elderly Senator got up and took another view of the case. This was a

Senator of the worn-out and obsolete pattern; a man still lingering among

the cobwebs of the past, and behind the spirit of the age. He said that

there seemed to be a curious misunderstanding of the case. Gentlemen

639

The Gilded Age