, and for a few minutes there
was talk between the hostess and Sir William about common
acquaintances. Lashmar, the while, kept turning his look towards Miss
Tomalin. With his astonishment had begun to mingle feelings of interest
and attraction. He compared Miss Tomalin's personal appearance with
that of Constance Bride, and at once so hardened towards the latter
that he could not bring his eyes to regard her again. At the same time
he perceived, with gratification, that Lady Ogram's niece was not
heedless of his presence; once at least their looks come to the
encounter, with quick self-recovery on the young lady's part, and a
conscious smile. Dyce began to think her very good-looking indeed. Sir
William's remark recurred to him, and he saw an undeniable resemblance
in the girl's features to those of Lady Ogram's early portrait. He grew
nervously desirous to know something about her.

Presently conversation directed itself towards the subject with which
Lashmar was connected. Sir William appeared by no means eager to
discuss political or social themes, but May Tomalin could not rest till
they were brought forward, and her aunt, who seemed to have no desire
but to please her and put her into prominence, helped them on.

"Are you going to stand as a Socialist?" asked the baronet of Lashmar,
with some surprise, when May's talk had sufficiently confused him.

Dyce quietly explained (a shadow of the Toplady smile about his lips)
that his Socialism was not Social-democracy.

"For my own part," declared Sir William, "I want to hear a little more
of men, and a little less of government. That we're moving into
Socialism of one kind or another is plain enough, and it goes against
the grain with me. I'm afraid we're losing our vigour as individuals.
It's all very well to be a good citizen, but it's more important, don't
you think, to be a man?"

"I quite see your point, Sir William," said Lashmar, his eyes
brightening as they always did when he found his opportunity for
borrowed argument and learning. "Clearly there's an excess to be
avoided; individuality mustn't be lost sight of. But I can make
absolutely no distinction between the terms Man and Citizen. To my mind
they are synonymous, for Man only came into being when he ceased to be
animal by developing the idea of citizenship. In my view, the source of
all our troubles is found in that commonly accepted duality. He didn't
exist in the progressive ancient world. The duali