had been wearing it now! She
would have banished Lorne altogether if she could. As he insisted on
an occasional meeting, she clothed it in mystery, appointing it for an
evening when her mother and aunt were out, and answering his ring at the
door herself. To her family she remarked with detachment that you saw
hardly anything of Lorne Murchison now, he was so taken up with his
old election; and to Hesketh she confided her fear that politics did
interfere with friendship, whatever he might say. He said a good deal,
he cited lofty examples; but the only agreement he could get from her
was the hope that the estrangement wouldn't be permanent.

"But you are going to say something, Lorne," she insisted, talking of
the Jordanville meeting.

"Not much," he told her. "It's the safest district we've got, and they
adore old Farquharson. He'll do most of the talking--they wouldn't
thank me for taking up the time. Farquharson is going to tell them I'm a
first-class man, and they couldn't do better, and I've practically only
to show my face and tell them I think so too."

"But Mr Hesketh will speak?"

"Yes; we thought it would be a good chance of testing him. He may
interest them, and he can't do much harm, anyhow."

"Lorne, I should simply love to go. It's your first meeting."

"I'll take you."

"Mr Murchison, HAVE you taken leave of your senses? Really, you are--"

"All right, I'll send you. Farquharson and I are going out to the
Crow place to supper, but Hesketh is driving straight there. He'll be
delighted to bring you--who wouldn't?"

"I shouldn't be allowed to go with him alone," said Dora, thoughtfully.

"Well, no. I don't know that I'd approve of that myself," laughed the
confident young man. "Hesketh is driving Mrs Farquharson, and the cutter
will easily hold three. Isn't it lucky there's sleighing?"

"Mother couldn't object to that," said Dora. "Lorne, I always said you
were the dearest fellow! I'll wear a thick veil, and not a soul will
know me."

"Not a soul would in any case," said Lorne. "It'll be a Jordanville
crowd, you know--nobody from Elgin."

"We don't visit much in Jordanville, certainly. Well, Mother mayn't
object. She has a great idea of Mrs Farquharson, because she
has attended eleven Drawing-Rooms at Ottawa, and one of them was
given--held, I should say--by the Princess Louise."

"I won't promise you eleven," said Lorne, "but there seems to be a
pretty fair chance of one or two."

At this