my opportunity."

He was some little distance from Brunford as these thoughts passed
through his mind. Old Abel Bowyer to whom he had gone, lived some
three miles from the town and he was returning from his house now.
Indeed he was entering the footpath where he had met Mary Bolitho long
months before, and he had only gone a short distance when he saw her
coming towards him.

CHAPTER VIII

THE COMING OF PAUL'S MOTHER

Mary Bolitho had returned to Howden Clough on the night of the
election, her heart filled with conflicting emotions. Naturally, she
had rejoiced in her father's election. No one had worked harder than
she, and she felt that her father had not spoken untruthfully when he
said that she had been largely responsible for his election. She had
thrown herself eagerly into the work of gaining voters, and she knew
she had been supremely successful. During the last three weeks a list
of names had been given to her almost daily of those who seemed
doubtful and undecided, and she had gone to them, and where others had
failed she had secured their promises. She was naturally, therefore,
elated at the result. The margin was so narrow that, but for her, both
she and her father would have left the town feeling that the enemy had
triumphed.

But she was not altogether satisfied. For one thing, she felt
uncomfortable at the long stay she had been making at Howden Clough.
Again and again she had spoken to her father, asking him to take rooms
at an hotel, but Mr. Bolitho had persisted that it would offend the
Wilsons deeply, and that he knew of no sufficient reason for acting
upon her suggestion.

"What excuse can I give, Mary?" he said. "It was understood from the
beginning that I was to make Howden Clough my home during our visits
here. They have become personal friends of ours, and not only should
we wound them by going to an hotel, but at this stage of the business
we should cause a great deal of gossip."

Though yielding to her father's wishes, however, she was far from
satisfied. It seemed to her that Ned Wilson looked on her with an air
of proprietorship. He did not say this in so many words, but she
couldn't help seeing what his thoughts and determinations were. Not
that she disliked Ned--indeed, she had become more and more favourably
impressed by him. He had more brains than she imagined, too, and had
given evidence that, from the standpoint of business, he was thoroughly
versed in the