and laughed.

"What a very determined person you are," he said. "I will take you to
the top of the hill--and then we will see."

CHAPTER X

A TEMPTING OFFER

The small boy brought in the card and laid it on Brooks' desk with a
flourish.

"He's outside, sir--in Mr. Barton's room. Shall I show him in?"

Brooks for a moment hesitated. He glanced at a letter which lay open
upon the desk before him, and which he had read and re-read many times.
The boy repeated his inquiry.

"Yes, of course," he answered. "Show him in at once."

Lord Arranmore, more than usually immaculate, strolled in, hat in hand,
and carefully selecting the most comfortable chair, seated himself on
the other side of the open table at which Brooks was working.

"How are you, Brooks?" he inquired, tersely. "Busy, of course. An
aftermath of work, I suppose."

"A few months ago," Brooks answered, "I should have considered myself
desperately busy. But after last week anything ordinary in the shape of
work seems restful."

Lord Arranmore nodded.

"I must congratulate you, I suppose," he remarked. "You got your man
in."

"We got him in all right," Brooks assented. "Our majority was less than
we had hoped for, though."

Lord Arranmore shrugged his shoulders.

"It was large enough," he answered, "and after all it was a clear gain
of a seat to your party, wasn't it?"

"It was a seat which we Radicals had a right to," Brooks declared. "Now
that the storm of Imperialism is quieting down and people are beginning
to realize that matters nearer home need a little attention, I cannot
see how the manufacturing centres can do anything save return Radicals.
We are the only party with a definite home policy."

Lord Arranmore nodded.

"Just so," he remarked, indifferently. "I needn't say that I didn't
come here to talk politics. There was a little matter of business which
I wished to put before you."

Brooks looked up in some surprise.

"Business!" he repeated, a little vaguely.

"Yes. As you are aware, Mr. Morrison has had the control of the Enton
estates for many years. He was a very estimable man, and he performed
his duties so far as I know quite satisfactorily. Now that he is dead,
however, I intend to make a change. The remaining partners in his firm
are unknown to me, and I at once gave them notice of my intention.
Would you care to undertake the legal management of my estates in this
part of the world?"

Brooks felt the little colour