owerful support. There was, then, in the man the bigger thing, the
light of fairness and reason! He had had no talk with Tarboe, and he
desired none, but he had seen him at three of his meetings, and he had
evidence of arduous effort on his behalf. Tarboe had influenced many
people in his favour, men of standing and repute, and the workmen of the
Grier firm had come, or were coming, his way. He had always been
popular with them, in spite of the strike he had fought, but they voted
independently of their employers; and he was glad to know that most of
them were with him in the fight.

His triumph over Eugene Grandois at the Island had been a good
influence, and he had hopes of capturing the majority of the river
people. Yet, strange to say, the Church had somewhat reversed its
position, and at the last had swung round to Barouche, quietly, though
not from the pulpit, supporting him. The old prejudice in favour of a
Catholic and a Frenchman was alive again.

Carnac was keyed to anxiety, but outwardly seemed moving with brilliant
certainty. He walked on air, and he spoke and acted like one who had the
key of the situation in his fingers, and the button of decision at his
will. It was folly electioneering on the day of the poll, and yet he
saw a few labour leaders and moved them to greater work for him. One of
these told him that at the Grier big-mill was one man working to defeat
him by personal attacks. It had something to do with a so-called secret
marriage, and it would be good to get hold of the man, Roudin, as soon
as possible.

A secret marriage! So the thing had, after all, been bruited and
used-what was the source of the information? Who was responsible? He
must go to the mill at once, and he started for it. On the way he met
Luke Tarboe.

"There's trouble down at the mill," Tarboe said. "A fellow called Roudin
has been spreading a story that you're married and repudiate your wife.
It'd be good to fight it now before it gets going. There's no truth
in it, of course," he added with an opposite look in his eye, for he
remembered the letter Carnac received one day in the office and his own
conclusion then.

"It's a lie, and I'll go and see Roudin at once.... You've been a good
friend to me in the fight, Tarboe, and I'd like a talk when it's all
over."

"That'll be easy enough, Grier. Don't make any mistake-this is a big
thing you're doing; and if a Protestant Britisher can beat a Catholic
Frenchman in his own