im, as before, dry and unsympathetic; and
disliked him, and his cool, ambiguous manner, more than ever. As to the
strike, however, they came to a complete understanding. The _Clarion_,
or rather the _Clarion_ fund, which was doing better and better, held
the key of the whole situation. If that fund could be maintained, the
men could hold out. In view of the possible formation of the syndicate,
Craven denounced the award with more fierceness than ever, maintaining
the redoubled importance of securing the men's terms before the
syndicate was launched. Wharton promised him with glee that he should be
supported to the bitter end.

_If_, that is to say--a proviso he did not discuss with Craven--the
_Clarion_ itself could be kept going. In August a large sum, obtained
two years before on the security of new "plant," would fall due. The
time for repayment had already been extended; and Wharton had
ascertained that no further extension was possible.

Well! bankruptcy would be a piquant interlude in his various social and
political enterprises! How was it to be avoided? He had by now plenty of
rich friends in the City or elsewhere, but none, as he finally decided,
likely to be useful to him at the present moment. For the amount of
money that he required was large--larger, indeed, than he cared to
verify with any strictness, and the security that he could offer, almost
nil.

As to friends in the City, indeed, the only excursion of a business kind
that he had made into those regions since his election was now adding
seriously to his anxieties--might very well turn out, unless the matter
were skilfully managed, to be one of the blackest spots on his horizon.

In the early days of his parliamentary life, when, again, mostly for the
_Clarion's_ sake, money happened to be much wanted, he had become
director of what promised to be an important company, through the
interest and good nature of a new and rich acquaintance, who had taken a
liking to the young member. The company had been largely "boomed," and
there had been some very profitable dealing in the original shares.
Wharton had made two or three thousand pounds, and contributed both
point and finish to some of the early prospectuses.

Then, after six months, he had withdrawn from the Board, under
apprehensions that had been gradually realised with alarming accuracy.
Things, indeed, had been going very wrong indeed; there were a number of
small investors; and the annual meeti