The Woman Who Vowed (The Demetrian)

  CHAPTER XXVI

  THE ELECTION

  I often heard Chairo and his friends discuss their plans for the comingelectoral campaign, but have not set these things down because there wasin them nothing that was necessary to my story or very different fromthe political campaigns of our day. There was less corruption, for therewere no needy persons in the state; but corruption was by no meansunknown, especially since the development of private industry hadcreated a private and transferable money system, and the relativelylarge wealth of such men as Campbell and Masters caused them to befeared. Campbell, however, had no political aspirations; his hoardinginstinct occupied his time and devoured his ambition. Masters, on theother hand, had a large fund at his disposal which it was feared hemight use in his unreasoning desire to vindicate Neaera. But whenMasters returned from Boston and read the testimony taken by themagistrate he called on Chairo to express regret at the attitude he hadtaken and to agree with him as to the coming campaign.

  Masters was still in favor of the amnesty bill, but he saw that ageneral bill that would include Neaera could not, and ought not, to bepassed. He doubted the possibility of pushing through the legislatureone that would altogether protect Chairo, and frankly told Chairo so. Hewas surprised to hear Chairo admit his own concurrence with this view.

  "I cannot play a conspicuous part," said Chairo, "in a campaign in whichI am so deeply involved; I propose to stand for the legislature in myown district, but I shall address my constituents only once, and then Ishall make it clear to them that I shall not regard my election as avindication of the course I have adopted in setting myself against thestate, but as evidence that upon my frank avowal that I was wrong Istill have their sympathy and confidence."

  Masters suggested that they should attend on the governor, who wasstanding for reelection, and agree with him as to the course to betaken, with a view to diminishing to the utmost possible the chances ofa serious collision between the government and the opposition on theamnesty question.

  I was very much surprised one day to find both Masters and the governordining at our table in our hall, and to learn that although the governorhad offices in the capitol he lived with his family in the sameapartment in which he had always lived, and, except when he was actuallyengaged in the duties of his office, there was nothing to distinguishhis manner of living from that of the humblest of his fellow citizens.

  He was a man of an extremely simple exterior, though his head wasdistinguished and his language chosen. We conversed about the politicaloutlook, and over our coffee, which Ariston made himself in our rooms,the governor summed up the position as follows:

  "The country districts will send us a large majority hostile to Chairo,because they are conservative and abhor violence. Chairo will have fromthe city and most of the large towns a small but staunch and intelligentfollowing. Masters will influence a large number of votes, as will alsothe Demetrian cult. I don't myself think the state can afford to allowany man to organize an armed rebellion--not even Chairo--without puttingupon him some mark of its authority, and I think it would be unwise inChairo's interests to ask that he should escape without censure and evenpunishment. I propose in my electoral address to advise pardon for allwho have been led by others into rebellion, severity for those who ledthem into it, and for those leaders who can plead extenuatingcircumstances, moderation."

  We all felt that the governor's attitude was not only wise on generalpolitical grounds, but also from the narrower point of view of Chairo'spersonal interest.

  The nomination of candidates at the primaries evinced a politicalanimosity against Chairo of which we were altogether unaware. To ouramazement the notion that Neaera was the victim of a concerted effort toexonerate Chairo at her expense had so widely prevailed that neitherdiscussion nor argument was any longer of any avail. All who defendedChairo were hounded down as the persecutors of a defenseless woman, andwere it not for the votes of the women, who were less obtuse on thequestion than the men, neither Chairo nor any of his following wouldhave received a nomination. As it was, Chairo was nominated only by adangerously narrow majority, and most of his party were droppedaltogether, But the very women who were not deceived into vindicatingNeaera went far beyond the limits of wisdom in their defense of theDemetrian cult. Although Arkles and Irene did their utmost to keep theenthusiasm of their supporters within reasonable bounds, the belief thatthe cult was attacked caused the nomination of a class of candidateswho, if elected, were likely to do Chairo scant justice by their votes.

  For some weeks I lived in a turmoil of political campaigning. It was arelief to be wakened on Christmas by a peal of Cathedral bells, andthese over, to hear in the distant corridors an approaching hymn swellits note of praise as it passed our door and die away as it disappearedin the distance. We were all glad to feel that the electioneering wasover, for Christmas Day is devoted entirely to the morning ritual andafternoon family gatherings; the 26th is devoted to final athleticcompetitions, the crowning of the victors, and public balls; and the27th to the silent vote.

  I am ashamed to say that although I had often delighted in the exteriorof the Cathedral from a distance, I had never entered it till Christmasmorning, for our quarters were some distance from it, and such religiousexercises as I had attended with Ariston were held either in aneighboring chapel or at the temple of Demeter. The scene as Iapproached the Cathedral reminded me of what my imagination hadsometimes constructed out of mediaeval chronicles around the spires ofChartres. It was a cold day and all the approaches to the Cathedral werecrowded with men, women, and children, covered with outer garments thatfar more resembled those we see in the thirteenth century tapestriesthan the Greek dress that had first surprised me at Tyringham and in theinteriors of New York. I learned that even in summer it was usual to dona special dress when attending a church service, not only out of respectfor the church, but out of a sense of the artistic inappropriateness ofa Greek dress in a gothic Cathedral.

  The gigantic doors of the main entrance were thrown wide open, and as Imounted the long flight of steps that led to it, I was delighted andbewitched by a facade, wide as Bourges, richly sculptured as Rheims, andflanked by spires more beautiful than those of Soissons. From the deep,dim Cathedral itself came the pealing notes of the organ which, as weentered, made the air throb; I was rejoiced to find that the secret ofold glass had been rediscovered, but so great a blaze of light came fromthe five great western portals that I did not fully appreciate themystic colors of the _vitraux_ till the doors were closed. Thereupon,from an entrance in the south transept there marched in a processionwhich, though more familiar than that I had already witnessed in thetemple of Demeter, far exceeded in splendor and impressiveness anythingI had seen before. Less graceful, perhaps, than in the Demetrian cultbut more solemn and devout, marched in the acolytes, swinging censers;they were followed by the choir, singing a Gregorian chant, than whichassuredly nothing more subtly conveying the Christian idea has ever beencomposed. In order came after them the great officials of the city andstate, including the mayor and the governor, a full representation fromthe priests and priestesses of Asclepius and from those of Demeter; theprocession was closed by the lesser ecclesiastics bearing the cross, thecanons, and, last of all, the bishop. The ritual did not differ muchfrom that of the Roman and Anglican churches, except that the music wasrendered with as much care and effect as at Munich or Bayreuth.

  The sermon did not last more than ten minutes, and closed with anearnest reminder that in casting our votes we were exercising thehighest act of sovereignty of which man is capable, and an entreaty soto cast them that the church--and all that the church stood for--mightfeel itself strengthened in the legislature as well as in the hearts ofthe people.

  Whether on emerging from the Cathedral this solemn exhortation left aslittle trace in the shape of actual conduct as in our day I, of course,cannot tell, but I think the language of the headstrong during thesucceeding days was less violent and the animus evinced less bitter forit.

 
The Christmas dinner which followed the service was held in the commonhall, for it was deemed an occasion when all should join and contributeto make the day a happy one. Families either arranged to dine atseparate tables or united to dine at one, and on this great festivalwine flowed in abundance at the expense of the state.

  Our own party consisted for the most part of the Tyringham colony, towhich, however, were added many new city friends. Ariston sat betweenAnna of Ann and Irene. We missed, however, Chairo and Lydia; the onedined alone from discretion, the other remained at the cloister. We werenot a merry party, for the prospect for both of these two was dark, andwhen we drank the toast of "absent friends" there was a tear in many aneye.