sed a woman whose life had
hardened to dusty uses. Her mere aspect chilled and repelled her
brother, and he answered her questions shortly.

"Broadstone has treated you shabbily!" she remarked, with decision;
"but I suppose you will have to put up with it. And this terrible thing
that has happened to-day may tell against you when it comes to the
election. Ferrier will be looked upon as a martyr, and we shall suffer."

Oliver turned his eyes for relief to Alicia. She, in a soft black dress,
with many slender chains, studded with beautiful turquoises, about her
white neck, rested and cheered his sight. The black was for sympathy
with the family sorrow; the turquoises were there because he specially
admired them; he understood them both. The night was hot, and without
teasing him with questions she had brought him a glass of iced lemonade,
touching him caressingly on the arm while he drank it.

"Poor Mr. Ferrier! It was terribly, terribly sad!" Her voice was subtly
tuned and pitched. It made no fresh claim on emotion, of which, in his
mental and moral exhaustion, he had none to give; but it more than met
the decencies of the situation, which Isabel had flouted.

"So there will be another election?" she said, presently, still standing
in front of him, erect and provocative, her eyes fixed on his.

"Yes; but I sha'n't be such a brute as to bother you with it this time."

"I shall decide that for myself," she said, lightly. Then--after a
pause: "So Lord Philip has won!--all along the line! I should like to
know that man!"

"You do know him."

"Oh, just to pass the time of day. That's nothing. But I am to meet him
at the Treshams' next week." Her eyes sparkled a little. Marsham glanced
at his sister, who was gathering up some small possessions at the end of
the room.

"Don't try and make a fool of him!" he said, in a low voice. "He's not
your sort."

"Isn't he?" She laughed. "I suppose he's one of the biggest men in
England now. And somebody told me the other day that, after losing two
or three fortunes, he had just got another."

Marsham nodded.

"Altogether, an excellent _parti_."

Alicia's infectious laugh broke out. She sat down beside him, with her
hands round her knees.

"You look miles better than when you came in. But I think--you'd better
go to bed."

* * * * *

As Marsham, in undressing, flung his coat upon a chair, the copy of the
_Herald_ which he had momentarily