"Does Lady Ogram know your circumstances?" Iris asked, in a lower voice.

"I can't be sure. She may have heard something about them from--my
friend. Naturally, I didn't tell her that I was penniless."

"But--if she is bent on having you for a candidate don't you think she
will very likely make some suggestion? A wealthy woman--"

The voice failed; the speaker had an abashed air.

"We can't take anything of that kind into account," said Lashmar, with
masculine decision. "If any such suggestion were made, I should have to
consider it very carefully indeed. As yet I know Lady Ogram very
slightly. We may quarrel, you know; it would be the easiest thing in
the world. My independence is the first consideration. You mustn't
imagine that I _clutch_ at this opportunity. Nothing of the kind. It's
an opening, perhaps; but in any case I should have found one before
long. I don't even know yet whether Hollingford will suit me. It's a
very unimportant borough; I may decide that it would be better to look
to one of the large, intelligent constituencies. I'm afraid--" he
became rather severe--"you are inclined to weigh my claims to
recognition by the fact that I happen to have no money--"

"Oh, Mr. Lashmar! Oh, don't!" exclaimed Iris, in a pained voice. "How
can you be so unkind--so unjust!"

"No, no; I merely want to guard myself against misconception. The very
freedom with which I speak to you might lead you to misjudge me. If I
thought you were ever tempted to regard me as an adventurer--"

"Mr. Lashmar!" cried Iris, almost tearfully. "This is dreadful. How
could such a thought enter my mind? Is _that_ your opinion of me?"

"Pray don't be absurd," interposed Dyce, with an impatient gesture. "I
detest this shrillness, as I've told you fifty times."

Iris bridled a little.

"I'm sure I wasn't _shrill_. I spoke in a very ordinary voice. And I
don't know why you should attribute such thoughts to me."

Lashmar gave way to nervous irritation.

"What a feminine way of talking! Is it impossible for you to follow a
logical train of ideas? I attributed no thought whatever to you. All I
said was, that I must take care not to be misunderstood. And I see that
I had very good reason; you have a fatal facility in misconceiving even
the simplest things."

Mrs. Woolstan bridled still more. There was a point of colour on her
freckled cheeks, her lower lip showed a tooth's pressure.

"After all," she said, "you must remember that I am