"You don't like the other fellow so well?" he said.

"I am sure he is a very good man----"

"That's enough; you need not say another word. We all can tell what a
critic means when he speaks of some actor as a careful and painstaking
performer. It's just the same when a woman says a man is very good.
Then you pronounce for Heron?"

"I pronounce for Mr. Heron decidedly, if you call saying what I should
like to happen pronouncing for any one."

"In this case it is of more effect than many other pronunciamentos. You
have elected Heron, Miss Grey, if I am not much more out in my calculations
than I have been this some time. All right, I am satisfied. If you have
money to throw away, just back what's-his-name?--Sheppard--heavily, and
you are sure to get rid of it."

"And you won't tell me what all this means?"

"Not I indeed: not likely. Good day, Miss Grey. You have elected your
friend Heron, I can tell you. Odd, isn't it, that he should come to be
elected after all by me?"

He bade her good day again, and strode and shambled out of the room and
down stairs, leaving Minola much perplexed, and not quite pleased, and
yet full of a secret wonder and pride at the possibility of her having
helped to do Mr. Heron a service.

"I wonder what he would say if he knew of it?" she asked herself, and
she could hardly think that he would be greatly delighted with the
promise of such influence.

CHAPTER XX.

LOVE AND ELECTIONEERING.

The soul of Keeton, as a local orator expressed it, was stirred to its
depths by the events which succeeded. The three estates of the town,
whereof we have already spoken, were alike concerned in the election.
Had it never occurred, there would have been enough in the death of
Mrs. Saulsbury and the rearrangement of Mr. Grey's property to keep
conversation up among the middle grade of Keeton folks. But business
like that would not interest the park, and of course it had no interest
for the working class of the town. The election, on the contrary, was
of equal concern to park, semi-detached villa, and cottage, or even
garret. A contest in Keeton was an absolute novelty, so far as the
memory of living man could go back.

It may perhaps be said that the opinion of the class who alone
concerned themselves about her affairs had been, on the whole,
decidedly unfavorable to Minola. She had gone as a sort of rebel
against legitimate authority out of Keeton, and had flung herself into
the giddy v