ut.
According to his rule, the designated member had no vote.

"Not know who it is?" exclaimed the doorkeeper. "Why, a man might be
asked to take off his own brother!"

"Perfectly," smiled Gaspard. "It is to avoid any painful conflict of
duties that the rule exists." He looked round the table with a broader
smile, and added--"Shall it be the lot?"

The feeling of the meeting was against the lot. They preferred to choose
their man.

"Let's vote by ballot," suggested the watchmaker.

"Agreed!" cried Gaspard, and they flung folded scraps of paper into a
hat.

There was one vote for the doorkeeper: it came out first, and the
doorkeeper wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. But soon he smiled
again; the other four were all for Gaspard, who returned thanks for the
honour in a few words.

"As soon as the information is complete, I will summon you again," he
said, dismissing them, and lighting his cigarette with a chuckle of
mockery. Really, it seemed impossible to do anything with these
creatures, and Gaspard did not feel quite so eager as he used to be to
put his own neck in the noose. If he acted, he must, probably, fly from
New Lindsey, and he was very comfortable and doing very well there. No;
on second thoughts he doubted if the duty of removing Mr. Benham was
absolutely imperative.

Meanwhile Benham would have been much surprised to hear that his latter
end was a subject of dispassionate contemplation to the little
Frenchman. No subject was more remote from his own thoughts. He was in
high feather, the hour was fast approaching which was to witness his
triumph and his revenge; the gag would soon be taken from his mouth, and
his deadly disclosure would smite Medland like a sword. His sentiment
was satisfied with the prospect, and Kilshaw took care that his pocket
should have nothing to complain of. He refused indeed to provide for
Benham in his own employ for obvious reasons; but he promised him a
strong, though private, recommendation to an important house, in
addition to the agreed price of his information, which was a thousand
pounds, half to be paid in advance. The first five hundred pounds was
paid on the day before the Premier's great meeting, for, if the Ministry
weathered Monday's storm, the last weapon in the arsenal was to be
brought into use. So said Mr. Kilshaw, still hoping to avoid the
necessity, still resolute to face it if he must. Benham took his money
and went his way, with one of those familia