would call him Josiah, much less Jos. Topham came more
easily to her lips, and sometimes Top.

'Your husband,' said Mr. Duncalf impressively to Clara, 'will, of
course, have to step into the Mayor's shoes, and you'll have to fill
the place of the Countess.' He paused, and added: 'And very well you'll
do it, too--very well. Nobody better.'

The Town Clerk frankly admired Clara.

'Mr. Duncalf--Mr. Duncalf!' She raised a finger at him. 'You are the
most shameless flatterer in the town.'

The flatterer was flattered. Having delivered the weighty news, he had
leisure to savour his own importance as the bearer of it. He drank a cup
of tea. Josiah was thoughtful, but Clara brimmed over with a fascinating
loquacity. Then Mr. Duncalf said that he must really be going, and,
having arranged with the Mayor-elect to call a special meeting of the
Council at once, he did go, all the while wishing he had the enterprise
to stay.

Josiah accompanied him to the front-door. The sky had now cleared.

'Thank ye for calling,' said the host.

'Oh, that's all right. Good-night, Curtenty. Got that goose out of the
canal?'

So the story was all abroad!

Josiah returned to the dining-room, imperceptibly smiling. At the door
the sight of his wife halted him. The face of that precious and
adorable woman flamed out lightning and all menace and offence. Her
louring eyes showed what a triumph of dissimulation she must have
achieved in the presence of Mr. Duncalf, but now she could speak her
mind.

'Yes, Topham!' she exploded, as though finishing an harangue. 'And on
this day of all days you choose to drive geese in the public road behind
my carriage!'

Jos was stupefied, annihilated.

'Did you see me, then, Clarry?'

He vainly tried to carry it off.

'Did I see you? Of course I saw you!'

She withered him up with the hot wind of scorn.

'Well,' he said foolishly, 'how was I to know that the Earl would resign
just to-day?'

'How were you to----?'

Harry came in for his tea. He glanced from one to the other, discreet,
silent. On the way home he had heard the tale of the geese in seven
different forms. The Deputy-Mayor, so soon to be Mayor, walked out of
the room.

'Pond has just come back, father,' said Harry; 'I drove up the hill
with him.'

And as Josiah hesitated a moment in the hall, he heard Clara exclaim,
'Oh, Harry!'

'Damn!' he murmured.

III

The _Signal_ of the following day contained the announcement whic