lresford, too, was fast doddering off the stage, and then where would
she be--without Alresford House, or Busbridge, or those various other
pedestals which had hitherto held her aloft?

* * * * *

Early on Sunday morning Wharton telegraphed to Craven, directing him to
"come up at once for consultation." The rest of the day the owner of the
_Clarion_ spent pleasantly on the river with Mrs. Lane and a party of
ladies, including a young Duchess, who was pretty, literary, and
socialistic. At night he went down to the _Clarion_ office, and produced
a leader on the position of affairs at Damesley which, to the practised
eye, contained one paragraph--but one only--wherein the dawn of a new
policy might have been discerned.

Naturally the juxtaposition of events at the moment gave him
considerable anxiety. He knew very well that the Damesley bargain could
not be kept waiting. The masters were losing heavily every day, and were
not likely to let him postpone the execution of his part of the contract
for a fortnight or so to suit his own convenience. It was like the sale
of an "old master." His influence must be sold now--at the ripe
moment--or not at all.

At the same time it was very awkward. In one short fortnight the meeting
of the party would be upon him. Surrender on the Damesley question would
give great offence to many of the Labour members. It would have to be
very carefully managed--very carefully thought out.

By eleven o'clock on Monday he was in Mr. Pearson's office. After the
first involuntary smile, concealed by the fair moustaches, and instantly
dismissed, with which the eminent lawyer greeted the announcement of his
visitor's name, the two augurs carried through their affairs with
perfect decorum. Wharton realised, indeed, that he was being firmly
handled. Mr. Pearson gave the _Clarion_ a week in which to accomplish
its retreat and drop its strike fund. And the fund was to be "checked"
as soon as possible.

A little later, when Wharton abruptly demanded a guarantee of secrecy,
Mr. Pearson allowed himself his first--visible--smile.

"My dear sir, are such things generally made public property? I can
give you no better assurance than you can extract yourself from the
circumstances. As to writing--well!--I should advise you very strongly
against anything of the sort. A long experience has convinced me that in
any delicate negotiation the less that is _written_ the better."

To