nothing was so fickle as
popular favour. A fortnight before, a week before, he felt sure of a
clear thousand majority, but he knew that there were thousands in
Brunford who would be influenced by what they had been discussing, and
would as likely as not turn against him. Still, now that his committee
had resolved to fight to the end, he determined he would not fail them,
and during the next few days he threw himself into the fray with
renewed ardour. He seemed to do ten men's work, and although the
clouds hung heavily over his head, he roused his meetings to tremendous
enthusiasm. At factory gates, at crossroads, in the market square and
in the public halls, he proclaimed his views, and did his best to
answer the thousand insulting queries which were constantly flung at
him. But he fought as one who despaired. He knew he was fighting a
losing battle, and even although there was ever a ring of defiance in
his voice, there was never a note of victory.

At length the polling-day came, and he watched the course of events
eagerly. Up to now he had never once come into personal contact with
Mr. Bolitho. Perhaps he had studiously avoided meeting his opponent,
and certainly Mr. Bolitho had not been anxious to meet him. They had
passed each other in the streets, but neither had taken notice of the
other, and Paul had never once made reference to the treatment he had
received at the barrister's hands years before. Let this be said, too,
as far as Mr. Bolitho was concerned, he had never, at any of his
meetings, referred to the circular which had created such commotion.
Whether he had kept silent as a matter of policy, or because he felt it
would have been striking below the belt to do so, I cannot say, but
certain it is that neither in public nor in private had he ever been
known to pass any opinion on the crisis through which Paul was passing.

The polling booths closed at eight o'clock on the fourteenth of
December, and then crowds moved towards the town hall, where the voting
papers were to be counted. It had been announced that the figures
would be known soon after eleven o'clock, and thousands of people
waited outside the huge building, wondering as to the result of the
day's voting. Of course, Paul and some of his supporters were in the
counting chamber, and Paul noticed that Mr. Bolitho passed from table
to table, talking eagerly with his friends. Evidently the voting was
very close. The little heaps of votin