etch
it myself, but I shouldn't know where to look for it."

A flame was soon roaring up the chimney in the little back room, and
Quarrier's pipe filled the air with fragrant mist.

"How is it," he exclaimed, settling in the arm-chair, "that there are
so many beggars in this region? Two or three times this last week I've
been assailed along the street. I'll put a stop to that; I told a great
hulking fellow to-night that if he spoke to me again (it was the second
time) I would take the trouble of marching him to the nearest police
station."

"Poor creatures!" sighed Lilian.

"Pooh! Loafing blackguards, with scarcely an exception! Well, I was
going to tell you: Glazzard comes from my own town, Polterham. We were
at the Grammar School there together; but he read AEschylus and Tacitus
whilst I was grubbing over Eutropius and the Greek declensions."

"Is he so much older then? He seemed to me"----

"Six years older--about five-and-thirty. He's going down to Polterham
on Saturday, and I think I shall go with him."

"Go with him? For long?"

"A week, I think. I want to see my brother-in-law. You won't mind being
left alone?"

"No; I shall do my best to keep in good spirits."

"I'll get you a batch of new books. I may as well tell you, Liversedge
has been persuaded to stand as Liberal candidate for Polterham at the
next election. It surprised me rather; I shouldn't have thought he was
the kind of fellow to go in for politics. It always seemed to be as
little in his line as it is in mine."

"And do you wish to advise him against it?"

"Oh no; there's no harm in it. I suppose Beaconsfield and crew have
roused him. I confess I should enjoy helping to kick them into space.
No, I just want to talk it over with him. And I owe them a visit; they
took it rather ill that I couldn't go with them to Ireland."

Lilian sat with bent head. Casting a quick glance at her, Quarrier
talked on in a cheerful strain.

"I'm afraid he isn't likely to get in. The present member is an old
fogey called Welwyn-Baker; a fat-headed Tory; this is his third
Parliament. They think he's going to set up his son next time--a fool,
no doubt, but I have no knowledge of him. I'm afraid Liversedge isn't
the man to stir enthusiasm."

"But is there any one to be made enthusiastic on that side?" asked
Lilian.

"Well, it's a town that has changed a good deal of late years. It used
to be only an agricultural market, but about twenty years ago a man