onest English face, 'Still, if they think they're
getting a future Cabinet Minister on their side----'

'It will be sufficiently embarrassing for the Cabinet Minister.'

Stonor caught sight of Farnborough approaching and lowered his voice. He
leaned his elbow on the end of the wide mantelpiece and gave his
attention exclusively to Lord John, seeming to ignore even the pretty
girl who still stood by her uncle with a hand slipped through his arm.

'Nobody says much about it,' Stonor went on, 'but it's realized that the
last Labour member, and that Colne Valley Socialist--those men got in
largely through the tireless activity of the women.'

'The Suffragettes!' exclaimed the girl, '_they_ were able to do that?'

'They're always saying they don't favour _any_ party,' said a voice.

Stonor looked up, and, to Jean's obvious relief, refrained from snubbing
the irrepressible Farnborough.

'I don't know what they _say_----' began Stonor.

'Oh, _I_ do!' Farnborough interrupted. 'They're not _for_ anybody.
They're simply agin the Government.'

'Whatever they say, they're all Socialists.' Lord John gave a snort.

'No,' said Farnborough, with cool audacity. 'It only looks like that.'

Jean turned quite pink with anxiety. She, and all who knew him well, had
seen Stonor crush the cocksure and the unwary with an awful effectualness.
But Farnborough, with the courage of enthusiasm--enthusiasm for himself
and his own future--went stoutly on.

'There are Liberals and even Unionists among 'em. And they do manage to
hold the balance pretty even. I go and hear them, you see!'

'And speaking from the height of your advantage,' although Stonor was
slightly satirical, he was exercising an exceptional forbearance, 'do
you mean to tell me they are not more in sympathy with the Labour party
than with any other?'

'If they are, it's not because the Suffragists are all for Socialism.
But because the Labour party is the only one that puts Women's Suffrage
in the forefront of its programme.'

Stonor took his elbow off the mantel. 'Whatever the reason,' he said
airily, 'the result is momentarily inconvenient. Though I am one of
those who think it would be easy to overestimate the importance----'

He broke off with an effect of dismissing both the matter and the man.
As he turned away, he found himself without the smallest warning face to
face with Vida Levering. She had come down the great staircase
unobserved and unobserving; her head