Vidal Gore — Eighteen Seventy [424]

“Never! Politically he is incorruptible. No, I fear for his health. Last February he had—” Bigelow stopped abruptly. I am fairly certain from the set of his mouth that he intended to say “a stroke,” But he quickly shifted to: “He cannot stop working …” — Vidal Gore, Eighteen Seventy, 424

Note

The abrupt shift in Bigelow’s conversation introduces a tension within the narrative, suggesting the fragility of health amidst political ambition, serving as a foreshadowing element for potential conflict.