ot, and so on. And he used to go to the Abbey House at that time just
as much as your cousin did of late. But about the end of last summer
Mrs. Saumarez seemed to cool off with Wellesley and take on with
Wallingford--fact! The doctor got his nose put out by the lawyer!
There's no doubt about it; and there's no doubt, either, that the result
was a distinct coolness, not to say dislike, between Wellesley and
Wallingford, for up to then those two had been rather close friends. But
they certainly weren't after Mrs. Saumarez plainly showed a preference
for Wallingford. Yet, in spite of that," continued Tansley, as if some
after-thought struck him, "I'll say this for Wellesley: he's never
allowed his undoubted jealousy of Wallingford to prevent him from
supporting Wallingford on the Town Council. Wellesley, indeed, has
always been one of his staunchest and most consistent supporters."

"Oh, Dr. Wellesley's on the Town Council, is he?" asked Brent. "And a
Reform man?"

"He's Councillor for the Riverside Ward," answered Tansley, "and a
regular Radical. In fact he, Wallingford, and that chap Epplewhite, were
the three recognized leaders of the Reform party. Yes, Wellesley stuck
to Wallingford as leader even when it became pretty evident that
Wallingford had ousted him in Mrs. Saumarez's affections--fact!"

"Affections, eh?" surmised Brent. "You think it had come to as much as
that?"

"I do!" affirmed Tansley. "Lord bless you, she and Wallingford were as
thick as thieves, as our local saying goes. Oh, yes, I'm sure she threw
Wellesley over for Wallingford."

Brent heard all this in silence, and remained for a time in further
silence.

"Um!" he remarked at last. "Odd! Mrs. Saumarez is an unusually pretty
woman. Dr. Wellesley is a very handsome man. Now, my cousin was about
as plain and insignificant a chap to look at as ever I came across--poor
fellow!"

"Your cousin was a damned clever chap!" said Tansley incisively. "He'd
got brains, my dear sir, and where women--cleverish women, anyhow--are
concerned, brains are going to win all the way and come in winners by as
many lengths as you please! Mrs. Saumarez, I understand, is a woman who
dabbles in politics, and your cousin interested her. And when a woman
gets deeply interested in a man----?"

"I guess you're right," assented Brent. "Well, I'll step along and see
her."

He left Tansley in the hotel and went away along the market-place,
wondering a good deal about the in