hem out
of his own resources. Now Sydney had a friend who would have seen him
through the whole business on these terms, who would at any rate have
found him money, the only qualification in which he was deficient. But
he fell into a trap prepared for him by his own vanity, and, as it
happened, the mistake cost him very dear.

"You see, Campion," his friend had said to him, after suggesting that he
should go down as Conservative candidate for Dormer, "our people know
very well what they would get for their money if you were elected. You
would make your mark in the first session, and be immensely useful to us
in ever so many ways."

"Would it cost much?" asked Sydney, rather nettled by the mention of
money. He had known Sir John Pynsent at Cambridge, and had never allowed
himself to be outdressed or outshone by him in any way. But Pynsent had
beaten him in the race for political honors; and Sydney, like a showy
player at billiards who prefers to put side on when he might make a
straightforward stroke, resolved to take a high tone with his would-be
patronizing friend.

"Much?" said Sir John. "Well, no, not much, as things go. But these
worthies at Dormer have their own traditional ways of working the
oracle. The Rads have got hold of a stockjobber who is good for a
thousand, and Maltman says they cannot fight him with less than that.
The long and short of it is that they want a strong candidate with five
hundred pounds, and we are prepared to send you down, my boy, and to be
good for that amount."

Sydney took out his cigar case, and offered the beaming baronet a choice
Villar.

"It's uncommonly good of you, Pynsent, to give me a look in at Dormer,
and to suggest the other thing in such a friendly way. Now, look
here--can you let me have two days to say yes or no to Maltman?"

"I am afraid I can't. He must have his answer in twenty-four hours."

"Well, say twenty-four hours. He shall have it by this time to-morrow.
And as for the five hundred, you may be wanting that by and by. Keep it
for some fellow who is not in a position to fight for his own hand."

Sir John Pynsent left his friend with a greatly increased opinion of his
spirit and professional standing--a result of the interview with which
Sydney was perfectly satisfied.

Then came the serious question, how he was to deal with the emergency
which had arisen--perhaps the most critical emergency of his life.
Within twenty-four hours he must know when and ho