scarcely increased theirs at all. But the other side--and the
Socialists--got hold of a lot of nasty little things about the estate
and the collieries. The collieries are practically in rebellion,
spoiling for a big strike next November, if not before. When Miss Drake
and Marsham drove round there this morning they were very badly
received. Her parasol was broken by a stone, and there was a good deal
of mud-throwing."

Bobbie eyed his companion.

"Was any of the Opposition personal to _her_?"

Lankester nodded.

"There's an extraordinary feeling all over the place for--"

"Of course there is!" said Bobbie, hotly. "Marsham isn't such a fool as
not to know that. Why did he let this aggressive young woman take such a
prominent part?"

Lankester shrugged his shoulders, but did not pursue the subject. The
two men went up-stairs, and Lankester parted from his companion with
the remark:

"I must say I hope Marsham won't press for anything in the Government. I
don't believe he'll ever get in for this place again."

Forbes shook his head.

"Marsham's got a lot of devil in him somewhere. I shouldn't wonder if
this made him set his teeth."

* * * * *

Lankester opened the door of the ugly yet luxurious room which had been
assigned him. He looked round it with fresh distaste, resenting its
unnecessary size and its pretentious decoration, resenting also the very
careful valeting which had evidently been bestowed on his shabby
clothes and personal appointments, as though the magnificent young
footman who looked after him had been doing his painful best with
impossible materials.

"Why, the idiots have shut the windows!"

He strode vehemently across the floor, only to find the park outside, as
he hung across the sill, even less to his liking than the room within.

Then, throwing himself into a chair, tired out with the canvassing,
speaking, and multifarious business of the preceding days, he fell to
wondering what on earth had made him--after the fatigues of his own
election--come down to help Marsham with his. There were scores of men
in the House he liked a great deal better, and requests for help had
been showered upon him.

He had, no doubt, been anxious, as a keen member of the advanced group,
that Marsham should finally commit himself to the programme of the Left
Wing, with which he had been so long coquetting. Oliver had a
considerable position in the House, and was, moreover,