This voluntary prompt submission on the part of Mr.Frost had a further subduing effect upon Mr.Harley.In imitation thereof he, too, began to speak in whispers and step with care, and ask his eminent relative for orders in all he went about.
Now when Senator Hanway had trained his partner and his candidate to come to heel he began to unravel his diplomacy.

By his suggestion, Mr.
Frost took into confidence two of his party colleagues in the House.
These would on every occasion act as his agents or lieutenants.

Senator Hanway and Mr.Harley were not to appear too obviously.
Senator Hanway, lying back in the dark, looked over the field and sent those two lieutenants variously to a score of members.

These were sounded on the engaging topic of committee chairmanships, and one by one such coigns of congressional, not to say personal, advantage as the heads of Ways and Means, the Appropriations, the Foreign Affairs, the Naval, the Military and a number of other great sub-bodies were disposed of--bartered away on the contingency always of Mr.Frost's selection to be the Speaker.

The entire House was laid off into lots like real estate and sold, the purchaser promising his vote and influence in the party caucus, taking therefor a verbal contract to give him the committee place he preferred.
This labor of an advance partition of the spoils and the linking of every possible faction with the campaign of Mr.Frost, was concluded about a fortnight prior to Mrs.Harley's dinner to Mr.Gwynn.As Senator Hanway ran his experienced eye over the list and counted the noses of Mr.Frost's array, he saw that it was not enough.