e only. No personal feeling, you
know, sir. I'm sure Mr. Mallett there will agree with me--and Mr.
Coppinger too."

"Absolutely!" said Mallett.

"Unreservedly!" said Coppinger.

"Your cousin, sir, our late lamented Mayor, was much respected in the
town," continued Crood. "He was the hardest-working Mayor we've had for
many years, Mr. Brent."

"A first-rate man of business!" observed Mallett.

"A particularly clever hand at figures!" remarked Coppinger.

"A man as tried hard to do his duty," said Crood. "Of course I'll not
say that everybody saw eye to eye with him. They didn't. Wherever
there's public bodies, Mr. Brent, there'll be parties. Your poor cousin
had his party--and there was, to be sure, a party against him and his.
But you'll be well aware, sir, as a London gentleman, that no doubt
often visits Parliament, that here in England men is enemies in politics
that's firm friends outside 'em. I believe I may say that that's a fact,
sir?"

"Oh, no doubt!" agreed Brent. He was already feeling at a loss, and he
scarcely knew what to say next. "I heard, though, that my cousin, as
Mayor, was proposing such drastic reforms in the administration of your
borough affairs, that--well, in short, that personal feeling had been
imported."

Crood shook his head more solemnly than ever.

"I think you've been misinformed on that point, Mr. Brent," he said.
"There may be--no doubt are--mischievous persons that would say such
things, but I never heard nothing of the sort, sir. Political feeling,
perhaps; but personal feeling--no!"

"Certainly not!" said Mallett.

"Nothing of the sort!" said Coppinger.

"Now, I should say," remarked Crood, waving his pipe again, "that our
late lamented Mayor, as an individual, was much thought of amongst the
townspeople. I believe Mr. Mallett will agree with that--and Mr.
Coppinger."

"A great deal thought of," answered Mallett.

"By, I should say, everybody," added Coppinger.

"He was, of course, a comparative stranger," continued Crood. "Twelve
years only had he been amongst us--and now cut off, sudden and
malicious, at the beginning of his career! But well thought of, sir,
well thought of!"

"Then you feel sure that this crime has not sprung out of his public
affairs?" suggested Brent. "It's not what you'd call a political
murder?"

"Of that, sir, I would take my solemn oath!" declared Crood. "The idea,
sir, is ridiculous."

"Absurd!" said Mallett.

"Out of the question