Moreover, he was of that hopeful incessant brood, like ants or wasps, the members whereof begin instantly in the wake of the storm to rebuild their destroyed domiciles.

And from the first he lulled himself with no false hopes.

As one after the other Senator Hanway found his prospects ablaze, the knowledge broke on him, and he accepted it, that the immediate future held for him no Presidency.

It would be party madness to put him up; the party rank and file were in ferocious arms against him.
Senator Hanway drew one deep breath of regret and that was the limit of his lamentation.

He was young, when one thinks of a White House; there still remained room in his life for three more shoots at that alluring target; he would withdraw and re-prepare for four years or eight years or--if Fate should so order the postponement of his ambition--twelve years away.