him every time that they recurred.

It was simply a few words on political matters that he wanted with Sir
John; but they had the room to themselves, and Sydney was hardly
surprised to find that the conversation had speedily drifted round to
personal topics, and that the baronet was detailing his plans for the
autumn, and asking Sydney to form one of his house-party in September.
Sydney hesitated in replying. He thought to himself that he should not
care to go unless he was sure that Miss Pynsent meant to accept him.
Perhaps Sir John attributed his hesitation to its real cause, for he
said, more heartily than ever.

"We all want you, you know. Nan is dying to talk over your constituents
with you. She has got some Workmen's Club on hand that she wants the
member to open, with an appropriate speech, so you had better prepare
yourself."

"Miss Pynsent is interested in the Vanebury workmen. I shall be
delighted to help at any time."

"Too much interested," said Sir John, bluntly. "I'll tell her she'll be
an out and out Radical by and by. You know she has a nice little place
of her own just outside Vanebury, and she vows she'll go and live there
when she is twenty-one, and work for the good of the people. My
authority over her will cease entirely when she is of age."

"But not your influence," said Sydney.

"Well--I don't know that I have very much. The proper person to
influence Nan will be her husband, when she has one."

"If I were not a poor man----" Sydney began impulsively, and then
stopped short. But a good-humored curl of Sir John's mouth, an inquiring
twinkle in his eye, told him that he must proceed. So, in five minutes,
his proposal was made, and a good deal earlier than he had expected it
to be. It must be confessed that Sir John had led him on. And Sir John
was unfeignedly delighted, though he tried to pretend doubt and
indifference.

"Of course I can't answer for my sister, and she is full young to make
her choice. But I can assure you, Campion, there's no man living to whom
I would sooner see her married than to yourself," he said at the
conclusion of the interview. And then he asked Sydney to dinner, and
went home to pour the story into the ears of his wife.

Lady Pynsent was not so much pleased as was he. She had had visions of a
title for her sister-in-law, and thought that Nan would be throwing
herself away if she married Sydney Campion, although he was a rising
man, and would certainly be soli