an agitator of the worst kind, one
who had broken the laws of his country, and had outraged the feelings
of her class. Through her own father's influence he had been sent to
gaol as a criminal, and she would naturally stand by her father's
position. Even without this stain upon his life, his case seemed
hopeless: he was only a working-man who had "got on," while she was the
daughter of a man who stood high in one of the most influential
professions. He knew that the doors of the best houses in the land
were open to prominent King's Counsels like Mr. Bolitho, while he was a
nobody. And yet, with that dogged determination by which he had become
known in Brunford, he had determined to overcome all difficulties, and
to make her love him. He did not see how he was to do it, he did not
know her address in London, he did not know how he could see her again;
nevertheless, he held by his resolution. There was only one woman in
the world to him, and that was one who despised him. Indeed, Paul
Stepaside was not sure that he loved her at all. Sometimes he thought
he hated her; nevertheless, she dominated his being, she was the goal
of his hopes, and in everything he undertook her influence was felt.

Perhaps this was partly the reason why the proposal made to him had
such a strong attraction. As a struggling cotton manufacturer he was a
nobody, but as a young Member of Parliament he would have a position.
The difficulties in the way of his advancement did not daunt him, and
he felt sure he could make his name prominent among the legislators of
the land.

"Did you say that Mr. Carcliffe had definitely resigned?" he asked.

"Well, he's told the committee that he wants to resign; we know that,"
was the reply. "And there's bound to be a general election in a few
months, and he has declared definitely that he'll not stand again."

"Who is the man that the other party are going to nominate in his
place?" he asked.

"We don't know yet," was the answer. "But we hear that a meeting is
going to be held at Edward Wilson's in a few days. But never mind the
other side, Paul; if you'll stand we'll send you to Parliament. We're
not going to allow these fine-fingered gentry to have it all their own
way. You're our man, and we'll stand by you, as you have stood by us."

Paul did not give them a definite answer that night. He wanted to
think about it, he said. All the same, when he bade them "Good-night"
his mind was practicall