Full of this idea, she drove through
the lodge-gates at Woolgreaves, any little
qualms or heart-sinkings which she might
have recently felt disappearing entirely as
she looked round upon the trim gardens,
trim even in those first days of winter, and
upon the long line of conservatories which
had recently risen under her direction, as
the hall-doors opened at her approach, and
as she stepped out of her pony-carriage, the
mistress of that handsome mansion, warmed
and flower-scented and luxurious. Her
pleasure was a little dashed when she
found that Mr. Creswell had been carried
off into Brocksopp by Mr. Gould, who had
come down unexpectedly from London,
and that Mr. Benthall was seated in the
drawing-room with Maud and Gertrude,
evidently intending to remain to luncheon,
if he were invited. But she rallied in a
moment, and accorded the invitation
graciously, and did the honours of the
luncheon table with all proper hospitality.
Once or twice she winced a little at the
obvious understanding between Gertrude
and Mr. Benthall; a state of things for
which, though to some extent prepared,
she was by no means particularly grateful.
It was not entirely new to her, this flirtation;
she had noticed something of it a
while ago, and her husband had made it
the subject of one of his mild little jokes to
her ; but she had matters of greater
import to attend to just then, and would see
how it should be treated when the election
was over.

After luncheon Marian, recollecting the
determination she had arrived at in her
homeward drive, was minded to put it in
force at once, and accordingly said to her
visitor, " Are you going back to the school,
Mr. Benthall, or do you make holiday this
afternoon?"

"Fortunately, my dear Mrs. Creswell,"
said Mr. Benthall, with a slight sign of
that indolence which the consumption of
an excellent luncheon superinduces in a
man of full habit— "fortunately the law
has done that for me! Wednesdays and
Saturdays are half-holidays by— well, I
don't know exactly by act of parliament,
but at all events by Helmingham rule and
system; so, to-day being Saturday, I am
absolved from further work. To my infinite
satisfaction, I confess."

"I am glad of that," said Marian; " for
it will leave you free to accept my proposition.
I have some business in Brocksopp,
and I want an escort. Will you come?"

"I shall be delighted," replied Mr. Benthall,
" though I shall keep up my unfortunate
character for plain speaking by
asking you not to dawdle too long in the
shops! I do get so horridly impatient
while ladies are turning over a counterful
of goods!"

"My dear Mr. Benthall, pray spare
yourself any such dreadful anticipations!
The business that takes me into Brocksopp
is of a widely different character."

"And that is——"

"How can you ask at such a crisis?"
said Marian, in a mock heroic style, for
her spirits always rose at the prospect of
action. " In what business should a wife
be engaged at such a time but her
husband's? My business of course is—
electioneering!'

"Electioneering— you?"

"Well, canvassing; you know perfectly
well what I mean!"

"And you want me to go with you?"

"Why not? Mr. Benthall, what on earth
is all this bigotry about?"

"My dear Mrs. Creswell, do you not
know that it is impossible for me to go
with you on the expedition you propose?"

"No, I do not know it! Why is it impossible?"

"Simply because in politics I happen to
be diametrically opposed to Mr. Creswell.
My sympathies are strongly Liberal."

"Then, in the present election your
intention is to vote against Mr. Creswell, and
for his opponent?"

"Undoubtedly. Is this the first time
you have heard this?"

"Most unquestionably! Who should
have told me?"

"Mr. Creswell! Directly it was known
that he would come forward in the Conservative
interest, I told him my views!"

"He did not mention the circumstance
to me," said Marian; then added, after a
moment, " I never asked him about you, to
be sure! I had no idea that there was the
least doubt of the way in which you
intended to vote."

There was a dead silence for a few
minutes after this, a pause during which
Gertrude Creswell took advantage of
Marian's abstraction to catch Maud's eye,
and to shape her mouth into the silent
expression of the word " Row"— delivered
three times with great solemnity. At last
Marian looked up and said, with an
evidently forced smile, " Well, then, I must
be content to shrug my shoulders, and
submit to these dreadful politics so far dividing
us that I must give up all idea of your