ng," replied Medland, somewhat
surprised to see him in the lobby.

"I am here with Mr. Puttock," said Benham, answering his look, "and Mr.
Kilshaw."

Medland smiled.

"The appointment is made all the same," he remarked.

Benham bowed and returned to his friends. The Premier, seeing Eleanor
and Alicia in front of him, overtook and joined them.

"Are you walking home?" he asked.

"Mr. Coxon is escorting us," answered Eleanor, indicating that
gentleman, who was walking with them.

Perhaps Mr. Coxon in his day-dreams looked forward to the time when he
should fight the Premier for his place and defeat him. He did not expect
to have to fight with him for a position by a girl's side. Nevertheless
he found, to his chagrin, that Medland did not pair off with Eleanor
Scaife, but continued to walk by and talk to Alicia. Being a man of much
assurance, he hazarded a protesting glance at Alicia: she met it with an
impossible intensity of unconsciousness, and Eleanor maliciously opened
fire upon him out of the batteries with which Tomes supplied her, at the
same time quickening her pace and compelling him to leave the others
behind.

Alicia glanced up at Medland.

"I thought of what you said the other night all the time," she began;
"but you did not say it so well to-day."

"Ah, you remember the other night?"

"You were bold and straightforward then. I thought--I thought you fenced
with it a little to-day."

"I'm not used to be charged with that."

"I suppose it was only by comparison."

"Yes. And nobody but you could make the comparison."

"I shall always like best to remember you by what you said then."

"Ah, I had to please so many people to-day. The other night I didn't
think of pleasing any one--not even you! But I hope it's not coming to
'remembering' me yet. You're not going to leave us?"

"We're only birds of passage, you know. My brother's term will be up in
fifteen months now."

"Well, Miss Derosne, I'm afraid fifteen months are likely enough to see
an end of most of the dreams I talked about to you."

"No, no," she exclaimed eagerly. Then checking herself she added, "But
what right have I to talk to you about it?"

"I talked to you."

"Oh, I happened to be there."

"Yes, and so I happened to talk. That's the way when people get on
together."

Alicia looked up with a smile. Short as her acquaintance had been, she
felt that the Premier was no longer a stranger. By opening his mind to
her as he