He was unable to believe that these certificates of his excellence might be obtained.

The bar and the commercial element of Little Arcady had been cold, not to say suspicious, toward him.

It was an unpleasant thing to mention, but a cabal had undeniably been formed.
Solon was politely incredulous.

He pledged his word of honor as a gentleman to provide the letters,--a laudatory, an uplifting letter, from every citizen in town whose testimony would be of weight; also a half-column of fit praise in the next issue of the _Argus_, twelve copies of which Potts should freely carry off with him for judicious scattering about the fortunate town in which his journey should end.
Then Potts spoke openly of the expenses of travel.

Solon, royally promising a purse of gold to take him on his way, clenched the winning of a neat and bloodless victory.
No one has ever denied that Denney must have employed a faultless, an incomparable tact, to bring J.Rodney Potts to this agreement.