frozen the genial
current of Mr. Tomlinson's vote and interest; and it may be that he
clung to one who had, as he imagined, seen Renee. Accompanied by a Mr.
Oggler, a tradesman of the town, on the Liberal committee, dressed in a
pea-jacket and proudly nautical, they applied for the vote, and found it
oftener than beauty. Palmet contrasted his repeated disappointments with
the scoring of two, three, four and more in the candidate's list, and
informed him that he would certainly get the Election. 'I think you're
sure of it,' he said. 'There's not a pretty woman to be seen; not one.'

One came up to them, the sight of whom counselled Lord Palmet to
reconsider his verdict. She was addressed by Beauchamp as Miss Denham,
and soon passed on.

Palmet was guilty of staring at her, and of lingering behind the others
for a last look at her.

They were on the steps of a voter's house, calmly enduring a rebuff
from him in person, when Palmet returned to them, exclaiming effusively,
'What luck you have, Beauchamp!' He stopped till the applicants
descended the steps, with the voice of the voter ringing contempt as
well as refusal in their ears; then continued: 'You introduced me neck
and heels to that undertakerly old Tomlinson, of Wingham's Institute;
you might have given me a chance with that Miss--Miss Denham, was it?
She has a bit of a style!'

'She has a head,' said Beauchamp.

'A girl like that may have what she likes. I don't care what she
has--there's woman in her. You might take her for a younger sister of
Mrs. Wardour-Devereux. Who 's the uncle she speaks of? She ought not to
be allowed to walk out by herself.'

'She can take care of herself,' said Beauchamp.

Palmet denied it. 'No woman can. Upon my honour, it's a shame that
she should be out alone. What are her people? I'll run--from you, you
know--and see her safe home. There's such an infernal lot of fellows
about; and a girl simply bewitching and unprotected! I ought to be after
her.'

Beauchamp held him firmly to the task of canvassing.

'Then will you tell me where she lives?' Palmet stipulated. He
reproached Beauchamp for a notorious Grand Turk exclusiveness and
greediness in regard to women, as well as a disposition to run hard
races for them out of a spirit of pure rivalry.

'It's no use contradicting, it's universally known of you,' reiterated
Palmet. 'I could name a dozen women, and dozens of fellows you
deliberately set yourself to cut out, for the