course you can't, sir. I only mentioned it in passing," said he.

"And you'd better tell Japhet Williams so, if he mentions the matter."
The slightest pause followed. "Or," added Quisante, grinding his heel
into the hearth rug as though in absence of mind, "if it happens to crop
up in talk between you."

Whether the matter did crop up as suggested or not is one of those points
of secret history which it seems useless to try to discover. But an
incident which occurred the next evening showed that Japhet Williams'
mind and conscience had, either of their own motion or under some outside
direction, been concerning themselves with the question of Tom Sinnett
and his daughter Susy. There was a full and enthusiastic meeting of Sir
Winterton's supporters. In spite of Quisante's victory over No. 77,
they were in good heart and fine fighting fettle; Sir Winterton was
good-tempered and sanguine; there was enough opposition to give the
affair go, not enough to make itself troublesome. But at the end, after
a few of the usual questions and the usual verbal triumphs of the
candidate, a small man rose from the middle of the hall. He was greeted
by hoots, with a few cheers mingling. The Chairman begged silence for
their worthy fellow-townsman, Councillor Japhet Williams.

Japhet was perfectly self-possessed; he had been, he said, as a rule a
supporter of the opposite party, but he kept his mind open and was free
to admit that he had been considerably impressed by some of the arguments
which had fallen from Sir Winterton Mildmay that evening. The meeting
applauded, and Sir Winterton nodded and smiled. There was one matter,
however, which he felt it his duty to mention. Now that Sir Winterton
Mildmay (the full name came with punctilious courtesy every time) was
appealing to a wider circle than that of his personal friends and
acquaintances, now that he--was seeking the confidence of his
fellow-townsmen in general (A voice "He's got it too," and cheers),
would Sir Winterton Mildmay consider the desirability of reconsidering
the attitude he had taken up some time ago, and consider the desirability
(Japhet's speech was not very artistically phrased but he loved the long
words) of making a fuller public statement with reference to what he (Mr.
Japhet Williams) would term the Sinnett affair? And with this Japhet sat
down, having caused what the reporters very properly described as a
"Sensation"--and an infinite deal of hooting and groaning