he young man between his
set teeth.

"And what's your conclusion?"

"I'm going to be Member for Brunford," he replied, and walked on
without another word.

"Ay, and he will, too," said the other, as he watched Paul's retreating
figure. "The chap as licks Paul Stepaside will have to be a bigger man
than any lawyer that ever lived!"

The consequence of this meeting in the street was that, before the day
was over, all the town knew that Paul Stepaside, who had been doubtful
so long as to whether he would fight the people's battle, had now made
up his mind, and that he would oppose the man who had been instrumental
in sending him to prison nearly two years before!

"You remember him, Mary," said Emily Wilson. "You remember the man who
stopped us in the path last summer?"

"Yes, I remember him," said the girl quietly. "He struck me as a
dangerous kind of man."

"He's thought to be very good-looking," said the other. "He came to
Brunford a few years ago, a nobody, and now there's no man so much
talked about."

"But do you think he'll succeed?" asked the girl.

"There's no telling," replied Miss Wilson. "You see, here in Brunford
the working people form the great bulk of the population, and they are
very determined; when they have set their minds on a thing they stop at
nothing in order to obtain it. Besides, among a certain class, your
father is not very much liked."

"No, I understand that," replied the other quietly. "But, of course,
they must understand that, as a barrister, my father was obliged to do
what he did."

"Well, you know, these working people have all sorts of foolish
notions."

"I should like to hear him speak," said Mary Bolitho. "I wonder if I
should be noticed if I went to one of his meetings."

"I expect not," replied the other. "But still, no meetings will be
held for a little time yet. When the election comes we shall have great
doings here."

At that minute they were joined by young Edward Wilson.

"We were just talking about Paul Stepaside," said his sister. "And I
was saying that the people are very strongly attached to him."

"Oh, I don't fear," replied Wilson.

"Why, you said only yesterday that you greatly doubted what the result
would be," replied his sister.

"Yes, but I've been thinking it all over since then," replied Wilson,
"and I can see how we can beat him."

"How?" asked the two girls eagerly.

"Well, there are two things," he replied. "One of them d