A few early voters-quiet folk, desirous to avoid the heat and peril of the riper struggle-were making their way to the ballotboxes through a narrow avenue of policemen, the thickening rabble yelling and gesticulating in growing and ominous excitement.

While Mr. Hardrop watched his political fortune in visible vicissitude, he was shocked by a defection gross, open, and palpable. It was that of the local Tyriæus -the bard called Mick, whose lyre, as recorded, he had subsidised on the Doctor's recommendation. This troubadour, who had vanished with the retaining fee and never rendered a couplet for it, now appeared moving slowly along by the kerb, the centre of a listening audience, a sheaf of new ballads over his shoulder, and in his hand one of the sheaf, which he filliped at the point of refrain with a professional action, like that made in cracking a whip. He intoned a chant of the occasion, which his patron was unpleasantly surprised to hear levelled against him. The satire was an ordinary inspiration of the popular Muse; eccentric in metre and still more in rhyme, and largely composed of words chosen rather for their sound than for their sense, of which the poet, it was clear, had but a dim idea. The astonished candidate long remembered the opening verse of that tirade:

Thou Muse, combine with Plutarch to dedicate my prose:

This Sassenach invader molests our native coast;

But we'll extemporise him, and let proud Hardrop know

That he must retrogade with speed from Erin's lovely shore.'

The hours passed in alarums and excursions, matters warming up as the day advanced. About noon the Bryan Boru brass band, in the glory of new instruments paid for by Mr. Hardrop, went by at the

head of a procession escorting Mr. O'Blarney. Shortly after a nonelector arrived outside the window on a shutter, and word came in that he was one of Hardrop's heroes mauled in championship of the good cause. An honorarium and a note to the surgeon were at once sent out, and the rude ambulance was borne to some distance before the disabled gladiator descended to share fairly with his bearers the receipts of the quaint device. Later on a charge of the dragoons drove the mob rushing into the hotel, where they stuck till they were bought out at five shillings a man. These and other incidents enlivened the interval of polling, and effectually prevented anything like a sense of monotony in regard to the proceedings.

At

In this way the struggle progressed. The omens for great part of the day favoured Hardrop. His men were coming up well, or were so reported. The Doctor, assisted by a paid staff, ticked off on the register the names of those supposed to be with the cause, according as news came that the individuals had voted. three o'clock it was calculated that the Independent National candidate was well ahead. But from that hour a great change set in. The scale of victory took an ugly turn to the other side. Mr. Hardrop's supporters hung fire in a very unaccountable fashion, which threatened to make the thing a closer shave than was expected.

What could be the meaning of such conduct at so critical a moment? Expresses were sent to hurry up the laggards, for the O'Blarneyites were now beginning to force the pace. The messengers returned with news which Dr. Dodd reported with a grave face.

'Mr. Hardrop,' said he, 'there's no good putting a tooth in it. There's treason in the camp, I'm

afraid. These fellows won't come to the scratch.'

'What!' exclaimed Mr. Whelan, in a tone of well-assumed indignation and disgust. "Why, who fights shy ?'

'All of 'em, it seems.'

'All of 'em!' echoed the legal agent, referring to the register. 'Did you send to Collins ?'

'Yes, and Collins sends back word he must hear further from Mr. Hardrop before he stirs a foot.'

'What about Pendergast ?'
'Same answer.'

'The ruffian ! We kept that fellow out of the court. Where's Kelly?'

In the lock-up, his wife says. He left this last night a bit hearty, and hit a peeler.'

'Diddle's cure to 'm! What a time he chose for his frolics! Have we time to bail him out ?"

'They won't let him out. I expect Round has passed the word to keep him where he's till the poll closes.'

'As sure as you're there! Well, and what's Duffy's excuse ?'

'Says if we want him we know how to come for him.'

'I'd like to go for him with a horsewhip, the villain! And Conway ?'

'Poor Conway's complaint is a scruple of conscience.'

'Bedad, though! And Moriarty ?'

'Same.' 'O'Connor ?' 'Scruple.' 'Allillu !'

Mr. Hardrop was thunderstruck. 'Scruple of conscience!' he cried. 'Do you mean to say these people's conscience prevents them from voting for me now?'

'Well, not that,' replied the Doctor; 'only it reproaches them for voting for you so cheap.'

'But have they not what they

asked? What wretched farce is this ?'

'O, bedad, there isn't an ounce weight of farce in it. They see their chance, and they're taking it. Small blame to 'm! But what am I thinking of? Carmody's waiting outside this way. They've sent him as a deputation to state their grievance.'

Their grievance ! that was good. As if the word were his cue, Mr. Carmody presented himself, and cheerfully saluted the trio.

'Well, Mister Carmody,' said the solicitor austerely, 'what's this strange news we hear ?'

'O, the old story,' replied Mr. Carmody. Sure you ought to know it by this time, anyhow, Mr. Whelan. To make a long story short, gentlemen, this is the state we're in. This morning, as we were preparing to go out and vote honest for Mr. Hardrop here-more power to'm!-who should come round but Father Tom and the curate. Well become the canon, he reminds us of what he promised us yesterday from the altar, and tells every man of us that if we perjure ourselves this day in regard of our duty to faith and fatherland, we'll just damn the sowl of us as nate as ninepence.' 'Well ?'

"Well," is it? Well, the "well" of it is this, that we can't go for Mr. Hardrop here at the price. At the last election we got nearly as much, or more, and there was nothing put on our sowls at all. But if we're to be damned for it this way, we couldn't think of going against our creed and country under double the figure. That's a hundherd pound apiece. I lave it to any fair-minded gentleman here if that isn't the laste a man's sowl is worth.'

Mr. Hardrop restrained the anger which rose in him as he heard this impudent speech, and felt himself the victim of a piece of

treachery as flagrant as it was ludicrous. This was not the time to resent it, however. Fifty pounds each to twenty-four defaulters-here was a round extortion in one turn. The Doctor looked at the clock. 'Half-past four,' said he. The poll closes at five. Carmody, you're a prime boy, I'm thinking.

Mr. Carmody returned with a wink of modest self-depreciation the arch glance the Doctor gave him.

'Come, come, Mr. Hardrop,' said Mr. Whelan briskly. You're not going to lose the sheep for a h'aporth of tar. Just say the word, and I'll shell out the cash and save your seat.' And Mr. Whelan, producing his cheque-book, proceeded to fill a cheque which would just about exhaust the sum lodged by the candidate on demand of his supporters in the local bank as a guarantee of good faith and an earnest of liberal intentions.

Mr. Hardrop protested. This was really very hard. It was unfair-it was not far short of a swindle.

The fortune of war,' said Mr. Whelan. 'You must take your chance, you know, sir, when you play this game.'

'Tis said we're only ten votes behind O'Blarney,' put in Carmody, coolly identifying himself with the cause he had betrayed.

Mr. Hardrop thought it well to reason the position with the mouthpiece of the conspiracy, and did so till Dr. Malachy struck in,

'Twenty to five! At five o'clock the poll closes.'

Mr. Whelan gently waved the cheque in the air to dry the fresh ink on it.

'Come, come, Mr. Hardrop. Here's the key ready to turn the lock for you. Am I to hand it over, or are you to stand out in the cold?'

'Pay the money!' cried the can

didate desperately. At the word Mr. Whelan handed over the valuable slip.

'I submit to this additional extortion,' said Mr. Hardrop, 'feeling that I do not in the least secure a return for it from people who have deceived me so grossly already. Now, Mr. Carmody, may I count upon it conscience won't prevent yourself and your confed your friends from earning this money

?' 'Faix, sir,' said Mr. Carmody, scratching his poll, 'I'm thinking the less any of us says about conscience the better; for it must be a sore subject with every man of us after the last six days. But as to acting fairly by you'

Quarter to five!' cried Dr. Dodd. 'Come, Carmody, out with you, by the back - door here, and let us see you march at the head of these other fellows to the ballotbox. By the way, where is the gang?'

"They're waiting this way above in Anderson's livery-stables.'

Mr. Carmody exchanged a whispered word and a low chuckle with the Doctor as he passed out. As he stepped from the door a messenger from the post-office arrived with a telegram for Mr. Hardrop. That gentleman opened and read it. The expression of his face informed the curious spectators that it contained surprising and not agreeable news.

While he read it again loud cheers from the court-house announced the advance of the reinforcements, whose courage had just been screwed up by so costly an experiment to the voting point.

'There's our forlorn hope entering the breach,' quoth Mr. Whelan, in the most fanciful phrase he had ever uttered.

'Waiter!' cried the Doctor, 'bring us a bottle of fizz. First, I'm split with the drought; and second, this

is the instant to pour a libation to Pandora, the goddess of the ballot-box. Here's wishing she may let out all sorts of bad luck for our enemies, and keep hope for Hardrop alone !'

Mr. Hardrop took no note of the puerile pleasantry; his thoughts had suddenly turned from Ballymaquirk and his election.

When does the next train leave

for Dublin?' he asked.

'At ten to six,' answered Mr. Whelan. But you're not leaving us, surely? You'll wait for your triumph, of course. The result will be announced at seven.'

'I shall learn it soon enough, I suspect. I must start at once. I am wanted in London.'

Dr. Dodd and Mr. Whelan, for purposes of their own, would have kept the secret of Mr. Hardrop's abrupt departure, but it leaked out; and when he drove to the station he owed it to the protection of his legal agent and his political medical adviser that he escaped better the violent ostent of the variable mob than he did from their spoken abuse. This alteration in the popular attitude was attributed by his companions to the impression that he was a fugitive.

"They like to see a man stand to his fight, Hardrop,' said Whelan.

The truth was that the goose had been plucked, and the populace had no longer any need to dissemble.

'Well, si-long,' said the Doctor, as the engine set up a shrill chant du départ. I hope we'll have a big majority to send you. Those fellows won't be pleased, though, when they find you not on the spot to make your heartfelt acknowledgments. It must be something terrible entirely that takes you from us this way.'

'It is a message from my daughter. Something very disagreeable has happened. Wire to me at

Morrison's, so that I shall have the message before starting for the boat.'

Before he had made twenty miles of his homeward journey, Ballymaquirk was in the fiery delirium of blazing tallow in the windows and torchlight processions in the streets, in celebration of the National victory gained by that promising patriot Mr. Theophilus MacElligot O'Blarney over the alien plutocrat.

CHAPTER XXII.

THE LOCKET.

MRS. DARKIN and her niece were much affected by their meeting; but the moment did not permit demonstration. Her aunt found Edith in the grief of the fresh trouble Talbot had but just disclosed. The girl told the story in a few words, as both women stood in the hall.

'I fear, dear aunt,' she added, 'my father is hardly in a humour to be seen at this moment.'

Mrs. Darkin felt herself nerved by that spirit which comes with extremity, and surprises us with a courage we did not believe to be in our nature. During the years she had yearned for the interview she had always fancied herself breaking down at the point which brought her face to face with her brother. Now that timidity had strangely vanished, and left a fixed purpose and a perfect indifference or resignation to whatever reception might befall her.

'Now or never, child!' she answered. Show me straight to him, and let me introduce myself. He will not know me.'

Mr. Welbore was standing on the hearth before the fire, as he had stood during the scene with Talbot. A reaction from the ex

citement of that incident had already set in. Remorse and shame followed upon the rage which had betrayed him into a part so harsh to his poor boy, and so inconsistent with his own personal dignity and public position. Mingled with this combined sense was, however, a sharp consciousness of impending ruin, and of his disobedient son's responsibility for it. The last hope of temporal salvation for the family had been destroyed by the events of that day.

Mr. Welbore felt his heart sink within him as he anticipated Hardrop's anger, and considered the terrible means of gratifying it which that gentleman had ready to his hand. Now, for the first time, the barriers of that self complacency, which presented his figure to himself serene amid the crush of worlds, fell quite away, and he saw his desperate position clearly.

He saw himself a broken man. To be accurate, it must be said that reflection had begun to conjure this spectre of himself for some weeks before. He had come of late to feel that the lofty carriage which so well became the member for Muddlebury was miserably burlesqued by an individual on the verge of pauperism. The thought most seriously qualified his parliamentary efficiency, such as it was. When he stood up in the House to discuss some question of national magnitude, he was embarrassed by an inner voice, which mocked him with the question, how he presumed a beggar like him, who might be found out at any moment -to meddle in grand affairs, which were for people of solvent respectability. It seemed to him that he was striving to hold a fair face to men with a concealed guilt about him. One night the Prime Minister happened to look at him while whispering the Home Secretary, sitting next. Both statesmen laugh

ed. A short time before, and he would have put the circumstance down to the petty malice of politicians resentful of his criticism; now he detected in it a sneer at his financial condition, and this impression gave him a torture of mind, not the less painful because it was utterly gratuitous. He was embarrassed and humble with his fellow members.

Trumpington, a heedless young man, rallied him on the loss of his deportment. Mr. Dodd remarked in the tea room that something wonderful had come over Welbore which was quite beyond explanation, unless it was the change before death.

His

Bringing such crude and narrow philosophy as he possessed to bear upon his lowering fortunes, the member for Muddlebury would open his 'Vacher' at the page whereon his own name and representation were blazoned, and pore whole atternoons over the trite entry. purpose was, in part, to enjoy the sense of his parliamentary honours before they passed from him for ever; partly to accustom himself to the time when the legislative libro d'oro would bear no longer the record that for a decade and more had been his favourite study in British literature.

Standing on the hearthrug, he threw up his hands with a gesture of despair.

'There's no way out of it,' he groaned no way out of it. Not a friend to help us!'

A friend to help us! The association flashed from no profound psychological deeps which brought before him on the instant the memory and the image of his sister. Here was the one person who might be a friend. The Darkins were rich, and could help if they would. It had come to his ears that his sister Caroline longed for reconciliation. He recalled his