Most men recognized that he was nothing but a self-seeker, and there were few who trusted him.

He did his best to achieve popularity, but his efforts were too obvious.

Bill Warden's breezy indifference held an infinitely greater appeal in the eyes of the crowd.
Harley's resignation was of his own choosing.

He declared himself in need of a rest, and no one attempted to persuade him otherwise.

His day was over, and Warden's succession to the post seemed an inevitable sequence.
As Hill sardonically remarked, there was no other competitor for the chieftainship of that band of cutthroats.
For some reason he had postponed his departure till after Hill's official visit to Trelevan.