布尔克侦探敲开了霍普金斯的家门，他对霍普金斯太太谎称是其丈夫的朋友，霍普金斯太太没有任何怀疑。布尔克很自然地同霍普金斯太太闲聊了起来，他打探到伊丽莎白很可能就是露西，是霍普金斯安插在肯尼思身边的眼线……
The home of Representative Hopkins was not a very imposing edi？ce.It was a modest frame building standing well back in a little yard at the outskirts of the village，and Mrs.
Hopkins did the housework，unaided，to save the expenseof a maid.It never occurred to the politician，who had risen from the position of a poor stable—boy to one of affluence，to save his wife from this drudgery.To him poor Mary was merely one of his possessions，and it would have astonished him to know that her sharp tongue and irritable temper were due to overwork and neglect.The Honorable Erastus was not averse toa champagne dinners and other costly excesses while at the state capital，and his fellow legislators considered him a good fellow，although rather lax in "keeping his end up."Moreover，he employed a good tailor and was careful to keep up an appearance of sound ？nancial standing.But his home，which he avoided as much as possible，had little share in his personal prosperity.Mary Hopkins's requests for new and decent gowns were more often refused than acceded tob，and he constantly cautioned her to keep down expenses or she would drive them both to the poor—house.
The woman well knew that Erastus could afford to keep her in luxury，if he would，but some women are so constituted that they accept their fate rather than rebel，and Mary Hopkins lived the life of a slave，contenting herself withpetty scoldings and bickeringsa that did nothing to relieve her hard lot.
She had little interest in politics and resented the intrusion of the many who came to the house to see and consult with her husband during the tiresome political campaigns.On these occasions Mr.Hopkins used the sitting—room as his of？ce andcommittee headquarters，but this did not materially interferewith his wife's comfort，as she was usually busy in the kitchen.
On this Saturday evening，however，they had an early supper and she finished her dishes betimesb and sat down to darn stockings in the sitting—room.Erastus had hurried away to a meeting of his henchmen in the town，and would not be home until after his wife was in bed.
So she was rather surprised when a timid knock sounded upon the door.She opened it to ？nd a little，lean man standing upon the porch.
"Mrs.Hopkins？"he asked，quietly.
"Yes.What do you want？"
"Your husband asked me to come here and wait for him.It's important or I wouldn't disturb you.""Well，then；come in，"she replied，tartlyc."Thank theLord this thing is nearly over，and we'll have a few weeks of peace.""It is rather imposing on you，"remarked the man，following her to the sitting—room，where he sat down with his hat in his hands."A political campaign is trying to everybody.I'm tired out and sick of the whole thing myself.""Then why don't you chuck ita，"she retorted，scornfully，"and go to work makin'an honest living？""Oh，this is honest enough，"he said，mildly.
"I don't believe it.All them secret confabsb an'trickeryc to win votes can't be on the square.Don't talk to me！Politics is another name for rascalityd！""Perhaps you're right，ma'am；perhaps you're right，"he said，with a sigh.
She looked at him sharply.
"You don't belong in Elmwood."
"No，ma'am；I'm from beyond Fairview.I've come to see your husband on business."She sniffed，at that，but picked up her darning andrelapsed into silencee.The little man was patient.He sat quietly in his chair and watched her work.
His mildness disarmed Mary Hopkins.She was not especially averse to having him sit there.It relieved the loneliness of her occupation.On occasions she loved to talk，as Erastus had long ago discovered；and this visitor would nottry to shut her up the way Erastus did.
"You don't often get out，ma'am；into society，and such like，"ventured the caller，presently.
"What makes you think that？"she demanded.
"A woman can't keep a house neat and trim like this，and be a social gadder，"he observed.
"You're right about that，"she returned，somewhat mollifieda."If I was like them girls up at Elmhurst，fussin'round over politics all the time，this house would go to rack an'ruin.""Oh，them！"he said，with mild scorn."Them girls 'll never be housekeepers.""Not for a minute，"she af？rmed.
There was another pause，then；but the ice was broken.A subtle sympathy seemed established between the two.
