mong us." Whereto
Quarrier replied that teetotalers might be eternally condemned; he
would stick by his ale as tenaciously as the old farmer of Thornaby
Waste.

"It's the first duty of a Radical to set his face against humbug. If I
see no harm in a thing, I shall do it openly, and let people"----

At this point he checked himself, almost as if he had a sudden stitch
in the side. Tobias asked for an explanation, but did not receive one.

On getting home again, he found Lilian in the drawing-room. (As an
ordinary thing he did not "dress" for dinner, since his evenings were
often spent in the company of people who would have disliked the
conspicuousness of his appearance.) She rose to meet him with shining
countenance, looking happier, indeed, and more rarely beautiful than he
had ever seen her.

"What cheer? A triumph already?"

"I think so, Denzil; I really think so. Mrs. Powell has promised me to
do her very best with her husband. Oh, if you could have heard our
conversation! I hadn't thought it possible for any one to be so
ignorant of the simplest political facts. One thing that she said--I
was talking about war, and suddenly she asked me: 'Do you think it
likely, Mrs. Quarrier, that there would be an _inscription_?' For a
moment I couldn't see what she meant. 'An inscription?' 'Yes; if
there's any danger of that, and--my four boys growing up!' Then, of
course, I understood. Fortunately, she was so very much in earnest that
I had no temptation to smile."

"And did you encourage her alarm?"

"I felt I had no right to do that. To avoid repeating the word, I said
that I didn't think _that system_ would ever find favour in England. At
the same time, it was quite certain that our army would have to be
greatly strengthened if this war-fever went on. Oh, we had an endless
talk--and she was certainly impressed with my arguments."

"Bravo! Why, this is something like!"

"You can't think what courage it has given me! To-morrow I shall go to
Mrs. Clifford--yes, I shall. She is far more formidable; but I want to
try my strength."

"Ho, ho! What a pugnacious Lily--a sword-Lily! You ought to have had an
heroic name--Deborah, or Joan, or Portia! Your eyes gleam like beacons."

"I feel more contented with myself.--Oh, I am told that Mrs. Wade
called this afternoon?"

"Yes; anxious to see you. Burning with wrath against female Toryism.
She was astonished when I told her of your expedition."

Lilian laughed merrily. Th