if you asked her."

"I don't intend to ask her. I have washed my hands of the whole affair."

My mother came into the conversation at this point.

"Lalage hasn't confided in me," she said, "but she has told Miss
Battersby----"

"Ah!" I said, "Miss Battersby is so wonderfully sympathetic. Anybody
would confide in her."

"She told Miss Battersby," my mother went on, "that she was studying the
situation and looking into the law of the matter."

"Let her stick to that," said Thormanby.

"Are Hilda and Selby-Harrison down here?" I asked.

"Hilda is," said my mother. "I don't know about the other. Who is he or
she?"

"He," I said, "is the third member of the committee of the Episcopal
Election Guild. He's particularly good at drawing up agreements. I
expect the Archdeacon will have to sign one. By the way, I suppose he's
the proper man to vote for?"

"I'm supporting him," said Thormanby, "so I suppose you will." I do not
like being hustled in this way. "I shall study the situation," I said,
"before I make up my mind. I am a life member of the Episcopal Election
Guild and I must allow myself to be guided to some extent by the
decision of the committee."

"Do you mean to tell me," said Thormanby, "that you've given that girl
money again?"

"Not again. My original subscription carries me on from one society to
another. Selby-Harrison arranged about that."

"I should have thought," said Thormanby sulkily, "that you'd had
warnings enough. You will never learn sense even if you live to be a
hundred."

I saw the Archdeacon next day. He tackled the subject of my defeat in
East Connor without hesitation. He has even less tact than Thormanby.

"I'm sorry for you, my dear boy," he said, wringing my hand, "more sorry
than I can tell you. These disappointments are very hard to bear at your
age. When you are as old as I am and know how many of them life has in
store for all of us, you will not feel them nearly so acutely."

"I'm trying to bear up," I said.

"Your defeat is a public loss. I feel that very strongly. After your
diplomatic experience and with your knowledge of foreign affairs your
advice would have been invaluable in all questions of imperial policy."

"I'm greatly gratified to hear you say that. I was afraid you thought I
had taken to drink."

"My dear boy," said the Archdeacon with pained surprise, "what can have
put such an idea into your head?"

"I couldn't help knowing what was in your mind that