g
to and fro in a wagonette of Mr. Williams'--without any springs, you
know. And Mr. Dunn's going to take Fanny in one of his waggons; she'll
have to sit on a plank without a back all day, so I told her to stay in
bed till she has to start at ten."

"It's a devilish difficult question," said Jimmy meditatively, "whether
it's all worth it, you know."

"Oh, it's worth more than that," said May lightly, as she sprang up and
put on her hat. "It's worth--well, almost anything. Six to four? They
expect us to win then?"

"By a neck, yes." He glanced at her and added rather uneasily, "They say
friend Japhet's done the trick for us." She made no answer, and he went
on hastily, "Old Foster's still in bed, and the waiter says he's written
five notes to your husband already--a regular row of them in the bar,
you know."

"Last instructions?"

"Oh, somebody else to be nobbled, don't you know; some fellow who wants
to marry his deceased wife's sister--or else is afraid he'll have to if
they pass the Bill. And there's the butcher in Market Street who's got
some trouble about slaughterhouses that I'm simply hanged if I can
understand. I jawed with him for half-an-hour yesterday, and then didn't
hook him safe."

"Alexander must find time to go and hook him," said May, smiling.
"Alexander'll be great on slaughter-houses."

"And at the last minute Smiley's been hinting something about Mildmay
giving a bit of land to extend the Recreation Ground. A beastly
unscrupulous fellow I call Smiley."

"Oh, poor Mr. Smiley! He wants to win."

"He might play fair, though."

"Might he? Oh, well, I suppose so. We've played fair anyhow--pretty
fair, haven't we?"

"Rather!"

"You really think so, Jimmy?" She was serious now; Jimmy reached out his
hand and touched hers for a moment; he divined that she was asking him
for a verdict and was anxious what it might be.

"Rather!" he said again. "That's all right. We've kept to the rules
square enough."

"Then I'm off to bow and smile!" she cried. As she went by she touched
his hand again. "Thanks, Jimmy," she said.

Jimmy, left alone, stretched himself, sighed, and lit a cigar; they were
nearly out of the wood now, and they had managed to play pretty fair.
For his own sake he was glad, since he had been mixed up in the
campaign; he had perception enough to be far more glad for May
Quisante's.

Through all the fever of that day the same gladness and relief were in
her heart in a form a th