exclamation which produced another
contraction of Lady Lucy's tired brow. Lady Niton gave a very audible
"Whew!"--to which she hastened to add: "Well, Lucy, what does it matter?
Twenty-four is as good as two thousand."

Lady Lucy roused herself a little.

"Of course," she said, languidly, "it is disappointing. But we may be
glad it is no worse. For a little while, during the counting, we thought
Oliver was out. But the last bundles to be counted were all for him, and
we just saved it." A pause, and then the speaker added, with emphasis:
"It has been a _horrid_ election! Such ill-feeling--and violence--such
unfair placards!--some of them, I am sure, were libellous. But I am told
one can do nothing."

"Well, my dear, this is what Democracy comes to," said Lady Niton,
taking up her knitting again with vehemence. "'_Tu l'as voulu, Georges
Dandin_.' You Liberals have opened the gates--and now you grumble at
the deluge."

"It has been the injustice shown him by his own side that Oliver minds."
The speaker's voice betrayed the bleeding of the inward wound. "Really,
to hear some of our neighbors talk, you would think him a Communist.
And, on the other hand, he and Alicia only just escaped being badly hurt
this morning at the collieries--when they were driving round. I implored
them not to go. However, they would. There was an ugly crowd, and but
for a few mounted police that came up, it might have been most
unpleasant."

"I suppose Alicia has been careering about with him all day?" said Lady
Niton.

"Alicia--and Roland Lankester--and the chairman of Oliver's committee.
Now they've gone off on the coach, to drive round some of the villages,
and thank people." Lady Lucy rose as she spoke.

"Not much to thank for, according to you!" observed Lady Niton, grimly.

"Oh, well, he's in!" Lady Lucy drew a long breath. "But people have
behaved so extraordinarily! That man--that clergyman--at Beechcote--Mr.
Lavery. He's been working night and day against Oliver. Really, I think
parsons ought to leave politics alone."

"Lavery?" said Bobbie. "I thought he was a Radical. Weren't Oliver's
speeches advanced enough to please him?"

"He has been denouncing Oliver as a humbug, because of what he is
pleased to call the state of the mining villages. I'm sure they're a
great, great deal better than they were twenty years ago!" Lady Lucy's
voice was almost piteous. "However, he very nearly persuaded the miners
to run a candidate of thei