er they were gone Mr. Bolitho talked long and gravely with Mr.
Wilson.

"I tell you," said the manufacturer, "if you fail us now, Mr. Bolitho,
your conduct will be misinterpreted."

Mr. Bolitho looked at the other questioningly.

"The truth of it is," went on Mr. Wilson, "a great many foolish things
have gone abroad since Stepaside's trial, and the belief is that he
wasn't treated fairly. The chaps who got off easily confessed, after
their imprisonment, that Stepaside had tried to dissuade them from
doing what they did, and so he has been looked upon as a kind of
martyr. Many have blamed us for this, and now if you refuse to fight
him--well, they'll say you are afraid."

"Afraid!"

"Yes, afraid. They'll say you're afraid to face a public audience, to
stand up in a public fight."

Mr. Bolitho gazed steadily on the carpet for a few seconds, and then
relit his cigar, which had gone out.

"That settles it, Wilson," he said. "That settles it. I will quickly
let the people of Brunford know whether I am afraid or not. You can
tell your chairman that I accept."

The manufacturer caught the other man's hand with delight. "By goom,"
he said, lapsing into the Lancashire dialect, "that's the ticket."

"You can tell him, too," went on the barrister, and his eyes flashed as
he spoke, "that I'll fight this for all I'm worth. We'll leave no
stone unturned, Wilson, and I'm inclined to think at the end of this
election that your man Stepaside will be no longer regarded as a hero."

The following Saturday _The Brunford Times_ announced the fact that Mr.
Bolitho, K.C., had accepted a hearty invitation to stand as their
candidate for the next election, and a leading article was devoted to
him, declaring that, if they had sought all over England, a worthier
candidate could not have been found.

Paul had no knowledge of the true facts of the case until he saw _The
Brunford Times_ on the Saturday morning. He was returning from his
mill when he heard a boy shouting in the street, "Bolitho accepted for
Brunford," and, buying the paper, he read the news eagerly.

"Thou looks as though thou had lost a thousand pounds, Paul," said a
voice.

"Nay," replied Paul. "I've not lost a thousand pounds." And he
noticed that the man to whom he spoke was the chairman of the league
who had visited him some time before.

"Well, what's the matter that you look so glum?" said the other.

"I've come to a serious conclusion," replied t