s pocket.

He found the little dinner-party in a most loquacious mood. O'Halloran
in especial was in full swing. The internal economy of England was to be
readjusted. The capital must be transferred to the centre of the real
wealth and brain-power of the country--that is to say, somewhere about
Leeds or Manchester. This proposition greatly pleased Humphreys, the man
from the North, who was quite willing to let the Royal Academy, the
South Kensington and National Galleries, and the British Museum remain
in London, so long as the seat of government was transferred to
Huddersfield or thereabouts. But O'Halloran drew such a harrowing
picture of the effect produced on the South of England intellect by its
notorious and intense devotion to the arts, that Humphreys was almost
convicted of cruelty.

However, if these graceless people thought to humbug the hard-headed man
from the North, he succeeded on one occasion in completely silencing his
chief enemy, O'Halloran. That lover of paradox and idle speculation was
tracing the decline of superstition to the introduction of the use of
steam, and was showing how, wherever railways went in India, ghosts
disappeared; whereupon the Darlington man calmly retorted that, as far
as he could see, the railways in this country were engaged in making as
many ghosts as they could possibly disperse in India. This flank attack
completely surprised and silenced the light skirmisher, who sought
safety in lighting another cigar.

More serious matters, however, were also talked about, and Humphreys
was eager that Brand should go down to Wolverhampton with him next
morning. Brand pleaded but for one day's delay. Humphreys reminded him
that certain members of the Political Committee of the Trades-union
Congress would be at Wolverhampton, and that he had promised to see
them. After that, silence.

At last, as Humphreys and O'Halloran were leaving, Brand said, with an
effort,

"No, it is no use, Humphreys. I _must_ remain in London one more day.
You go down to-morrow; I shall come by the first train next morning.
Molyneux and the others won't be leaving for some days."

"Very well, sir; good-night, sir."

Brand returned into the room, and threw himself into an easy-chair; his
only companion now was his old friend Evelyn.

The younger man regarded him.

"I can tell the whole story, Brand; I have been reading it in your face.
You were troubled and perplexed before you got that letter. It gave s