ere heartily at
his disposal, for he could pay a better price than Puttock could; and he
laid them by in his arsenal, for use, he carefully added to himself,
only in the very last emergency.

"Not yet, you fool!" he had whispered to his tool in anger and alarm.
The tool did not know how dirty it seemed to the hand that was to use
it, and yet shrank from using it until the very last. But if it came to
the very last--why, he would use it; and Mr. Kilshaw inspected the pitch
on the end of his fingers, and almost convinced himself that it was not
pitch at all.

Yet was this "very last" very far off? Since the flower-show, the
Premier was displaying feverish activity. He was like a man who is
stricken by mortal sickness, but has some work that he must finish
before the time comes when he can do no more work, and know no more joy
in the work he has done. Bill after bill was introduced embodying his
schemes, and the popular praise of him and enthusiasm rose higher and
higher at the sight of a minister doing, or at least attempting, all and
more than he promised. The Ministry was worked to death; the Governor
was apprehensive and uneasy; Capital was, as Kilshaw had said, alarmed;
only Sir Robert Perry smiled, as he remarked to the Chief Justice at the
Club,

"It can't last. His own men won't swallow all this. Medland must be mad
to try it."

"Perhaps," suggested Sir John, "he doesn't mean business. He may only
want a strong platform to dissolve on."

"Riding for a fall, eh?"

"I shouldn't wonder."

"My experience is," observed Captain Heseltine, looking up from the
_Stud Book_, "that chaps who ride for a fall come more unholy crumplers
than anybody else."

"I hope you're right," said Sir Robert, with a smile.

And they discussed the matter with much acumen, and would doubtless have
arrived at a true conclusion, had they known anything about the matter.
But, as it happened, they were all ignorant of the real reason which
dictated Medland's conduct. He had gauged the character of his most
uncompromising and powerful enemy to a nicety. He knew that Kilshaw
would be loth to make use of Benham, and yet that he would make use of
him. He saw that the danger which threatened him had become great and
immediate. A stronger hand and a longer purse than Benham's were now
against him. The chase had begun. He could not expect much law, and he
was riding, not for a fall, but against time. He did not despair of
escape, but the cha