TER XIII

Last November had turned the scale in the Polterham Town Council. It
happened that the retiring members were all Conservatives, with the
exception of Mr. Chown, who alone of them obtained re-election, the
others giving place to men of the Progressive party. Mr. Mumbray bade
farewell to his greatness. The new Mayor was a Liberal. As
returning-officer, he would preside over the coming political contest.
The Tories gloomed at each other, and whispered of evil omens.

For many years Mr. Mumbray had looked to the Mayoralty as the limit of
his ambition. He now began to entertain larger projects, encouraged
thereto by the dissensions of Conservative Polterham, and the
promptings of men who were hoping to follow him up the civic ladder. He
joined with those who murmured against the obstinacy of old Mr.
Welwyn-Baker. To support such a candidate would be party suicide. Even
Welwyn-Baker junior was preferable; but why not recognize that the old
name had lost its prestige, and select a representative of enlightened
Conservatism, who could really make a stand against Quarrier and his
rampant Radicals? Mr. Mumbray saw no reason why he himself should not
invite the confidence of the burgesses.

In a moment of domestic truce the ex-Mayor communicated this thought to
his wife, and Mrs. Mumbray gave ready ear. Like the ladies of Polterham
in general, she had not the faintest understanding of political
principles; to her, the distinction between parties was the difference
between bits of blue and yellow ribbon, nothing more. But the social
advantages accruing to the wife of an M.P. impressed her very strongly
indeed. For such an end she was willing to make sacrifices, and the
first of these declared itself in an abandonment of her opposition to
Mr. Eustace Glazzard. Her husband pointed out to her that a connection
with the family so long established at Highmead would be of distinct
value. William Glazzard nominally stood on the Liberal side, but he was
very lukewarm, and allowed to be seen that his political action was
much swayed by personal considerations. Eustace made no pretence of
Liberal leaning; though a friend of the Radical candidate (so Quarrier
was already designated by his opponents), he joked at popular
enthusiasm, and could only be described as an independent aristocrat.
Money, it appeared, he had none; and his brother, it was suspected,
kept up only a show of the ancestral position. Nevertheless, their
names