s plain that a twelvemonth must see him either made or ruined, and
probably everything depended on the quality of his courage. Now, he
began to wonder whether Mrs. Toplady's favour would be likely to
manifest itself in any still more practical way; but of this his
reflection offered him no assurance. The probability was that in Lady
Ogram lay his only reasonable hope. On the spur of such feeling, he
addressed a letter to Rivenoak, giving an account of his luncheon in
Pont Street, and thanking the old autocrat more fervently than he yet
had done for all her good offices.

Since his return from Rivenoak, he had not met Lord Dymchurch. He might
of course write his invitation, but he fancied that it would have more
chance of being accepted if he urged it orally, and, as he could not
call upon the peer (whose private address, in books of reference, was
merely the house in Somerset), he haunted the club with the hope of
encountering him. On the second day fortune was propitious. Lord
Dymchurch sat in his usual corner of the library, and, on Lashmar's
approach, smiled his wonted greeting. After preliminary gossip, Dyce
commanded himself to courageous utterance.

"I have been asked to come forward as Liberal candidate for a little
borough in the Midlands--Hollingford. It's a Tory seat, and I don't
know whether I shall stand any chance, but local people want to fight
it, and they seem to think that I may be the man for them."

As he spoke, he felt that he wore an expression new to his visage, a
sort of smile which his lips had not the habit of framing. Quite
unconsciously, indeed, he had reproduced the smile of Mrs. Toplady; its
ironic good-humour seemed to put him at ease, and to heighten his
personal effectiveness.

"Hollingford?" Lord Dymchurch reflected. "I know the place by name
only."

He looked at Lashmar with a new interest. Constantly worrying about his
own inactive life, and what he deemed his culpable supineness as a
citizen, the pinched peer envied any man to whom the Lower House
offered its large possibilities.

"The idea is quite novel to me," Lashmar continued. "You know something
of my views--my cast of mind; do you think I should do well to go in
for practical politics?"

"I think any man does well who goes in for anything practical," was
Lord Dymchurch's answer. "Stand, by all means, and I wish you success.
Parliament isn't overcrowded with men of original views."

"That's very kind of you.--I don't w