d any one doubt who the other person in that strangely revealed
photograph was, or fail to guess the relation between the man they had
been listening to and the man who was dead? A few had known Benyon, more
Gaspard, all Medland--the three figures of this drama; many remembered
the fourth, the central character, who had not tarried for the end of
it: the man was rare who did not spend a thought on the bright girl,
whose face was so familiar in these walls, and who must be dragged into
it. Where was she? asked one. She was gone. Norburn, with rapid
instinct, as soon as he had read, had run to her and forced her to go
home. He was back from escorting her now, and walked up and down with
hands behind him, speaking to no one among all the busily babbling
throng.

The waverers stood in a little group by themselves, talking earnestly in
undertones, while men wondered whether the paper would undo what the
speech had done, and whether the Premier's words had won a victory, only
for his deeds to leap to light and rob it from him again.

Inside, the debate lagged on, surely the dullest, emptiest, most
neglected debate that had ever decided the fate of a Government. The men
who had been set down to speak came in and spoke and went out again; a
House was kept, but with little to spare. Sir Robert went in and took
his place, opposite Medland, who never stirred through all the hours.
Presently Sir Robert wrote a note, twisted it, and flung it to the
Premier. "A splendid performance of yours, _mes compliments_," it said,
and, when Medland looked across to acknowledge it, Sir Robert smiled
kindly, and nodded his silver head, and the Premier answered him with a
glad gleam in his deep-set eyes. These two men, who were always
fighting, knew one another, and liked one another for what they knew.
And this little episode done, Sir Robert rose and pricked and pinked the
Premier's points, making sharp fun of his heroics, and weightily
criticising his proposals. Now the House did fill a little, for after
all the debate was important, and the hour of the division drew near;
and when the question was put and the bell rang, nearly half the House
trooped out with virtuous air to join the other half, persistently
gossiping in the lobby, and, with them, decide the fateful question.

One more strange thing was to happen at that sitting.

It was not strange that the Government were beaten by three votes, that
only one of those wavering men voted wit