Although they seemed to be making progress, they knew that
they were dealing with a people not only excitable and egotistic,
but steeped in guile, and distrustful by nature. The fire was
close to the magazine. But this was Edith Cortlandt's chosen
field, and she brought to bear a manlike power of cool
calculation, together with a brilliant intuition of her own. Never
had her tact, her knowledge of human nature, her keen realization
of political values been called into such play as now. So
triumphantly did she exercise these qualities that all who came
into contact with her recognized the master mind directing the
campaign, and, consciously or unconsciously, relegated her husband
to the background.
To the Latin intellect this display of power, on the part of a
woman, was a revelation. She knew the effect she produced, and
made the most of it.
Old Anibal Alfarez was, perhaps, the last fully to appreciate her.
He did, however, learn in time that while he could successfully
match his craft against that of the husband, the wife read him
unerringly. The result was that he broke with them openly.
When news of this reached the members of the Canal Commission,
they were alarmed, and Colonel Jolson felt it necessary to make
known their views upon the situation.
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