ear. I couldn't even see. Please don't look like that.
Forgive me,' she pleaded, covertly seeking his hand.

His set face softened. 'It frightened me when I didn't see you where I
left you.'

She smiled, with recovered spirits. She could attend now to the thing
she had come to see.

'I'm sorry you missed the inspired charwoman. It's rather upsetting to
think--do you suppose any of our servants have--views?'

Stonor laughed. 'Oh, no! Our servants are all too superior.' He moved
forward and touched a policeman on the shoulder. What was said was not
audible--the policeman at first shook his head, then suddenly he turned
round, looked sharply into the gentleman's face, and his whole manner
changed. Obliging, genial, almost obsequious. 'Oh, he's recognized
Geoffrey!' Jean said to her aunt. 'They _have_ to do what a member tells
them! They'll stop the traffic any time to let Geoffrey go by!' she
exulted.

Stonor beckoned to his ladies. The policeman was forging a way in which
they followed.

'This will do,' Stonor said at last, and he whispered again to the
policeman. The man replied, grinning. 'Oh, really,' Stonor smiled, too.
'This is the redoubtable Miss Ernestine Blunt,' he explained over his
shoulder, and he drew back so that Jean could pass, and standing so,
directly in front of him, she could be protected right and left, if need
were, by a barrier made of his arms.

'Now can you see?' he asked.

She looked round and nodded. Her face was without cloud again. She
leaned lightly against his arm.

Miss Ernestine had meanwhile been catapulting into election issues with
all the fervour of a hot-gospeller.

'What outrageous things she says about important people--people she
ought to respect and be rather afraid of,' objected Jean, rather
scandalized.

'Impudent little baggage!' said Stonor.

Reasons, a plenty, the baggage had why the Party which had so recently
refused to enfranchise women should not be returned to power.

'You're in too big a hurry,' some one shouted. 'All the Liberals want is
a little time.'

'Time! You seem not to know that the first petition in favour of giving
us the Franchise was signed in 1866.'

'How do _you_ know?'

She paused a moment, taken off her guard by the suddenness of the
attack.

'_You_ wasn't there!'

'That was the trouble. Haw! Haw!'

'That petition,' she said, 'was presented forty years ago.'

'Give 'er a 'reain' now she _'as_ got out of 'er crydle.'

'It wa