shrewd kindly face, dressed all in broadcloth, showing an expanse of
white shirt-front decorated with a big black stud and a very small black
wisp of a tie. His conversation indicated now and then that he gave
thought to the other world, always that he knew the ways of this. May
liked him in spite of the rather ponderous deference he showed to her;
with Quisante, on the other hand, he was familiar, seeming to say that he
could tell the younger man a thing or two; Quisante's manner did nothing
to contradict this implied assumption.

"What we want, sir," said Foster, "is to have you in the Government. Once
you're there, you'll sit for Henstead till you die or go to the House of
Lords. Nobody'll be able to touch you. But this time's critical, very
critical. They'll have a strong candidate, and they'll do all they know
to keep you out. It's not a time for offending anybody." He turned to
May. "I hope your ladyship will let us see you very often in the town?"
he said.

"When the election begins, I shall come down with my husband and stay all
the time."

"That's right; you'll be worth a hundred votes." He threw himself back in
his chair. "Under God," he said, "we ought to be safe. Your speech had an
excellent effect; I sent it to Middleton, and Dunn, and Japhet Williams,
and when I met 'em at the Council, they were all most pleasant about it.
I think you've undone all the bad impression."

"I only said what I thought," observed Quisante.

"Yes, yes, just so; oh, just so, of course." His tone was not in the
least ironical, but a little hurried, as though, having put the thing in
a way that might sound ambiguous, he hastened to prevent any possible
misapprehension. May had looked for a twinkle in his eye, but his eye was
guilty of no such frivolity.

"I had a letter from Mr. Japhet Williams the other day," said Quisante.
"He was annoyed at a vote I gave in Committee on the Truck Act. You know
I voted against the Government once, in favour of what I thought fairer
treatment of the men; not that any real hardship on the employer was
involved."

"Just so, just so," said Mr. Foster. "That's the worst of Japhet. He
doesn't look at the matter in a broad way. But I've put that all right,
sir. I met him on the Cemetery Board, and walked home with him, and I
said, 'Look here Japhet, that vote of Mr. Quisante's 'll be worth fifty
votes among the men.' 'I don't care for that,' he said; 'I'm against
interference.' 'So am I,' I to