told her you'd sign any pledge she
liked about woman's suffrage if she'd only clear out of this and go
to Belfast. She as good as told me to my face that she wouldn't give a
tinker's curse for any pledge I had a hand in giving. My own impression
is that she doesn't care if she never got a vote, or any other woman
either. All she wants is to turn the place into a bear garden and spoil
the whole election. I've come here to tell you plain that if you don't
interfere I'll wash my hands of the whole affair."

"Don't do that," I said. "Think of the position I'd be in if you
deserted me."

"Then stop her."

"I would. I would stop her at once if I hadn't got the influenza. You
see yourself the state I'm in. The nurse wouldn't let me do it even if
McMeekin agreed."

"Damn the nurse!"

"I quite agree; and if you'd do as I suggest and cart her off to
Vittie----"

"Look here," said Titherington. "It's all very well you're talking like
that, but this is serious. The whole election's becoming a farce. Miss
Beresford----"

"It's a well-known fact that there is nothing so uncontrollable as a
tiger once it has got the taste of human blood, and Miss Beresford,
having found out how nice it is to call you and Vittie and O'Donoghue
liars, isn't likely to be persuaded----"

"What are you going to do?" said Titherington truculently.

"I? I'm going back to bed as soon as I can, and when once back I'm going
to stay there."

Titherington looked so angry that I began to feel afraid. I was quite
helpless and I did not want him to revenge himself on me by carrying off
the champagne or sending for a second nurse.

"There's just one idea which occurs to me," I said. "I doubt whether it
will be much use, but you might try it if you're regularly stuck. Write
to Hilda's mother."

"Who the devil's Hilda's mother?"

"I don't know, but you might find out. She strongly disapproves of
Hilda's making speeches, and if she knew what is going on here I expect
she'd stop it. She'd stop Hilda anyhow."

"Is Hilda the other one."

"Yes," I said. "The minor one."

Titherington got out a note book and a pencil.

"What's her address?" he asked.

"I don't know."

"Never mind. I'll hunt all the directories till I find her. What's her
name?"

"I don't know."

"Well, what's the girl's name? I suppose the mother's is the same unless
she's married again."

"Hilda," I said. "I've told you that three or four times."

"Hilda what?"

"I don't