itting opposite to one another at the end of the long table, a
typewriter between them and a pile of papers by Aaron's side. Julia
rose at once to her feet.

"You are in!" she cried. "We have been telephoning all the evening. We
heard half an hour ago."

Maraton nodded.

"In by seven hundred. Not bad, I suppose, considering that I must have
been rather a hard nut to crack. Has Peter Dale been here?"

Aaron shook his head.

"He hasn't been near the place."

Maraton's face hardened.

"You know that they sprang a Labour candidate upon me at the last
moment? He did me no particular harm, but it was an infamous trick. I
wired to Dale yesterday and had no reply."

"David Ross has been here," Aaron said. "We heard all about it from
him. There is dissension in the camp. Dale was in favour of
withdrawing their candidate, but Graveling wouldn't have it."

"He did me no harm, anyway," Maraton remarked. "The Labour vote was
mine from the start."

"So it ought to have been," Aaron declared vigorously. "What could they
do but vote for you, with Manchester staring them in the face?"

Maraton's expression lightened, a gleam of humour twinkled in his eyes.

"After all," he murmured, "it would have been almost Gilbertian if I had
been returned to Parliament with the Labour vote against me! . . .
Aaron, go and ring up Peter Dale. I want this matter cleared up. Ask
him when we can meet."

Aaron left the room upon his errand. Maraton moved restlessly about the
room for a moment or two. He mixed himself a drink at the sideboard,
and lit a cigarette. Julia's eyes followed him all the time.

"So you are a Member of Parliament," she said at last.

"I hope you approve?" he queried.

Julia did not answer him at once. He looked across at her from the
depth of the easy chair into which he had thrown himself. She was
wearing a plain black dress, buttoned to her throat and unrelieved even
by a linen collar or any touch of white. She was pale, and her eyes
seemed all the more beautiful for the faint violet lines beneath them.

"Parliament has been the grave of so many men's careers," Maraton
continued. "I am fully warned. Nothing of the sort is going to happen
to me. I wouldn't have gone in now but for Foley. It's only fair. It
helps him, and he's sticking to his pledges like a man."

"When do you go to Sheffield?" she asked.

"Next Wednesday. No postponements."

Julia nodded.

"Mr. Elgood has been here this afternoon," she