ory
or defeat; the meeting that would for the present decide his
parliamentary prospects, his interview with Marcella, and--the
confounded annual meeting of the "People's Banking Company," with all
its threatened annoyances.

He became, indeed, more and more occupied with this latter business as
the days went on. But he could see no way of evading it. He would have
to fight it; luckily, now, he had the money.

The annual meeting took place two days before that fixed for the
committee of the Labour party. Wharton was not present at it, and in
spite of ample warning he gave way to certain lively movements of
disgust and depression when at his club he first got hold of the
evening papers containing the reports. His name, of course, figured
amply in the denunciations heaped upon the directors of all dates; the
sums which he with others were supposed to have made out of the first
dealings with the shares on the Stock Exchange were freely mentioned;
and the shareholders as a body had shown themselves most uncomfortably
violent. He at once wrote off a letter to the papers disclaiming all
responsibility for the worst irregularities which had occurred, and
courting full enquiry--a letter which, as usual, both convinced and
affected himself.

Then he went, restless and fuming, down to the House. Bennett passed him
in the lobby with an uneasy and averted eye. Whereupon Wharton seized
upon him, carried him into the Library, and talked to him, till Bennett,
who, in spite of his extraordinary shrewdness and judgment in certain
departments, was a babe in matters of company finance, wore a somewhat
cheered countenance.

They came out into the lobby together, Wharton holding his head very
high.

"I shall deal with the whole thing in my speech on Thursday!" he said
aloud, as they parted.

Bennett gave him a friendly nod and smile.

There was in this little man, with his considerable brain and his poet's
heart, something of the "imperishable child." Like a wholesome child, he
did not easily "think evil"; his temper towards all men--even the owners
of "way-leaves" and mining royalties--was optimist. He had the most
naive admiration for Wharton's ability, and for the academic
attainments he himself secretly pined for; and to the young complex
personality itself he had taken from the beginning an unaccountable
liking. The bond between the two, though incongruous and recent, was
real; Wharton was as glad of Bennett's farewell kindne