course," said Wharton, drily. "However, neither she nor Raeburn are
very happy just at this moment. A horrible affair happened down there
last night. One of Lord Maxwell's gamekeepers and a 'helper,' a lad of
seventeen, were killed last night in a fight with poachers. I only just
heard the outlines of it before I came away, but I got a telegram just
before going into congress, asking me to defend the man charged with the
murder."

A quick expression of repulsion and disgust crossed Bennett's face.

"There have been a whole crop of such cases lately," he said. "How shall
we ever escape from the _curse_ of this game system?"

"We shan't escape it," said Wharton, quietly, knocking the end off his
cigarette, "not in your lifetime or mine. When we get more Radicals on
the bench we shall lighten the sentences; but that will only exasperate
the sporting class into finding new ways of protecting themselves. Oh!
the man will be hung--that's quite clear to me. But it will be a good
case--from the public point of view--will work up well--"

He ran his hand through his curls, considering.

"Will work up admirably," he added in a lower tone of voice, as though
to himself, his eyes keen and brilliant as ever, in spite of the marks
of sleeplessness and fatigue visible in the rest of the face, though
only visible there since he had allowed himself the repose of his
cigarette and arm-chair.

"Are yo' comin' to dine at the 'Peterloo' to-night, Mr. Wharton?" said
Wilkins, as Wharton handed him a cup of coffee; "but of coorse you
are--part of yower duties, I suppose?"

While Molloy and Casey were deep in animated discussion of the great
meeting of the afternoon he had been sitting silent against the edge of
the table--a short-bearded sombre figure, ready at any moment to make a
grievance, to suspect a slight.

"I'm afraid I can't," said Wharton, bending forward and speaking in a
tone of concern; "that was just what I was going to ask you all--if you
would make my excuses to-night? I have been explaining to Bennett. I
have an important piece of business in the country--a labourer has been
getting into trouble for shooting a keeper; they have asked me to defend
him. The assizes come on in little more than a fortnight, worse luck! so
that the time is short--"

And he went on to explain that, by taking an evening train back to
Widrington, he could get the following (Saturday) morning with the
solicitor in charge of the case, and be b