he approached her his
look was deprecating--almost timid. Only the night before, Anthony for
the first time had suggested to him an idea about her. He did not
believe it--had had no time in truth to think of it in the rush of
events. But now he saw her, the doubt pulled at his heart. Had he indeed
stabbed the hand that had tried to help him?

Anthony touched him impatiently on the arm. "What has happened, Louis? I
have shown Miss Boyce the first news."

"It is all over," said Louis, briefly. "The meeting was breaking up as I
came away. It had lasted nearly five hours. There was a fierce fight, of
course, between Wharton and Wilkins. Then Bennett withdrew his
resolution, refused to be nominated himself--nearly broke down, in fact,
they say; he had always been attached to Wharton, and had set his heart
upon making him leader--and finally, after a long wrangle, Molloy was
appointed chairman of the party."

"Good!" cried Anthony, not able to suppress the note of exultation.

Louis did not speak. He looked at Marcella.

"Did he defend himself?" she asked in a low, sharp voice.

Louis shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh, yes. He spoke--but it did him no good. Everybody agreed that the
speech was curiously ineffective. One would have expected him to do it
better. But he seemed to be knocked over. He said, of course, that he
had satisfied himself, and given proof in the paper, that the strike
could not be maintained, and that being so he was free to join any
syndicate he pleased. But he spoke amid dead silence, and there was a
general groan when he sat down. Oh, it was not this business only!
Wilkins made great play in part of his speech with the Company scandal
too. It is a complete smash all round."

"Which he will never get over?" said Marcella, quickly.

"Not with our men. What he may do elsewhere is another matter. Anthony
has told you how it came out?"

She made a sign of assent. She was sitting erect and cold, her hands
round her knees.

"I did not mean to keep anything from you," he said in a low voice,
bending to her. "I know--you admired him--that he had given you cause.
But--my mind has been on _fire_--ever since I came back from those
Damesley scenes!"

She offered no reply. Silence fell upon all three for a minute or two;
and in the twilight each could hardly distinguish the others. Every now
and then the passionate tears rose in Marcella's eyes; her heart
contracted. That very night when he spoke to her, w