not suffered to escape. For his
instruction, for his positive and extreme good, Beauchamp determined that
the heir to an earldom should have a day's lesson. We will hope there was
no intention to punish him for having frozen the genial current of Mr.
Tomlinson's vote and interest; and it may be that he clung to one who
had, as he imagined, seen Renee. Accompanied by a Mr. Oggler, a tradesman
of the town, on the Liberal committee, dressed in a pea-jacket and
proudly nautical, they applied for the vote, and found it oftener than
beauty. Palmet contrasted his repeated disappointments with the scoring
of two, three, four and more in the candidate's list, and informed him
that he would certainly get the Election. 'I think you're sure of it,' he
said. 'There's not a pretty woman to be seen; not one.'

One came up to them, the sight of whom counselled Lord Palmet to
reconsider his verdict. She was addressed by Beauchamp as Miss Denham,
and soon passed on.

Palmet was guilty of staring at her, and of lingering behind the others
for a last look at her.

They were on the steps of a voter's house, calmly enduring a rebuff from
him in person, when Palmet returned to them, exclaiming effusively, 'What
luck you have, Beauchamp!' He stopped till the applicants descended the
steps, with the voice of the voter ringing contempt as well as refusal in
their ears; then continued: 'You introduced me neck and heels to that
undertakerly old Tomlinson, of Wingham's Institute; you might have given
me a chance with that Miss--Miss Denham, was it? She has a bit of a
style!'

'She has a head,' said Beauchamp.

'A girl like that may have what she likes. I don't care what she
has--there's woman in her. You might take her for a younger sister of
Mrs. Wardour-Devereux. Who 's the uncle she speaks of? She ought not to
be allowed to walk out by herself.'

'She can take care of herself,' said Beauchamp.

Palmet denied it. 'No woman can. Upon my honour, it's a shame that she
should be out alone. What are her people? I'll run--from you, you
know--and see her safe home. There's such an infernal lot of fellows
about; and a girl simply bewitching and unprotected! I ought to be after
her.'

Beauchamp held him firmly to the task of canvassing.

'Then will you tell me where she lives?' Palmet stipulated. He reproached
Beauchamp for a notorious Grand Turk exclusiveness and greediness in
regard to women, as well as a disposition to run hard races for th