rmiston, the red creeping over features
that had not lost in three generations the lines of the old breed, "I've
voted in the Conservative interest for forty years, and my father before
me. We were Whigs when we settled in Massachusetts, and Whigs when we
pulled up stakes and came North rather than take up arms against the
King; but it seemed decent to support the Government that gave us a
chance again under the flag, and my grandfather changed his politics.
Now, confound it! the flag seems to be with the Whigs again, for
fighting purposes, anyhow; and I don't seem to have any choice. I've
been debating the thing for some time now, and your talk of making
that fine young fellow your candidate settles it. If you can get your
committee to accept young Murchison, you can count on my vote, and I
don't want to brag, but I think you can count on Moneida too, though
it's never sent in a Grit majority yet."

The men were standing on the steps of the bank, and the crisp air
of autumn brought them both an agreeable tingle of enterprise.
Farquharson's buggy was tied to the nearest maple.

"I'm going over to East Elgin to look at my brick-kilns," he said. "Get
in with me, will you?"

As they drove up Main Street they encountered Walter Winter, who looked
after them with a deeply considering eye.

"Old Ormiston always had the Imperial bee in his bonnet," said he.

CHAPTER XXIII

Alfred Hesketh was among the first to hear of Lorne's nomination to
represent the constituency of South Fox in the Dominion Parliament. The
Milburns told him; it was Dora who actually made the communication. The
occasion was high tea; Miss Milburn's apprehension about Englishmen and
late dinner had been dissipated in great amusement. Mr Hesketh liked
nothing better than high tea, liked nothing so much. He came often to
the Milburns' after Mrs Milburn said she hoped he would, and pleased her
extremely by the alacrity with which he accepted her first invitation to
stay to what she described as their very simple and unconventional meal.
Later he won her approval entirely by saying boldly that he hoped he was
going to be allowed to stay. It was only in good English society,
Mrs Milburn declared, that you found such freedom and confidence; it
reminded her of Mrs Emmett's saying that her sister-in-law in London
was always at home to lunch. Mrs Milburn considered a vague project of
informing a select number of her acquaintances that she was always
at h