hy not. I feel years younger. Think how much there is to do, and
see, even for a pauper like myself--picture galleries, the shops, the
people, the theatres."

He looked at her thoughtfully.

"Don't think me a prig, will you?" he said, "but I want to understand
you. In Medchester you used to work for the people--it was the greater
part of your life. You are not giving that up altogether, are you?"

She laughed him to scorn.

"Am I such a butterfly? No, I hope to get some serious work to do, and
I am looking forward to it. I have a letter of introduction to a Mrs.
Capenhurst, whom I am going to see on Sunday. I expect to learn a lot
from her. I was very, very sorry to leave my own girls. It was the
only regret I had in leaving Medchester. By the bye, what is this about
Mr. Henslow?"

"We are thinking of asking him to resign," Brooks answered. "He has
been a terrible disappointment to us."

She nodded.

"I am sorry. From his speeches he seemed such an excellent candidate."

"He was a magnificent candidate," Brooks said ruefully, "but a shocking
Member. I am afraid what I heard in the City the other day must have
some truth in it. They say that he only wanted to be able to write M.P.
after his name for this last session to get on the board of two new
companies. He will never sit for Medchester again."

"He was at the hotel the other day, wasn't he?" Mary asked, "with you
and uncle? What has he to say for himself?"

"Well, he shelters himself behind the old fudge about duty to his
Party," Brooks answered. "You see the Liberals only just scraped in
last election because of the war scandals, and their majority is too
small for them to care about any of the rank and file introducing any
disputative measures. Still that scarcely affects the question. He won
his seat on certain definite pledges, and if he persists in his present
attitude, we shall ask him at once to resign."

You still keep up your interest in Medchester, then?"

"Why, yes!" he answered. "Between ourselves, if I could choose, I would
rather, when the time comes, stand for Medchester than anywhere."

"I am glad! I should like to see you Member for Medchester. Do you
know, even now, although I am so happy, I cannot think about the last
few months there without a shudder. It seemed to me that things were
getting worse and worse. The people's faces haunt me sometimes."

He looked up at her sympathetically.

"If you have once lived with them," he sai