By this time, if he had kept his promise, Northway was in London.

But what faith was to be put in such a man's declarations?
It might be that the secret was already known to other people; between now and polling-day there might come the crowning catastrophe.

Yet the man's interest seemed to impose silence upon him, and for Lilian's sake it was necessary to affect absolute confidence.
They went to the dinner, and the evening passed without accident.
Lilian was universally admired; pallor heightened her beauty, and the assurance of outlived danger which Denzil had succeeded in imparting gave to her conversation a life and glow that excited interest in all who spoke with her.
"Mr.Quarrier," said the hostess, playfully, in an aside, "if you were defeated at Polterham, I don't think you ought to care much.

You have already been elected by such a charming constituency!" But there followed a night of sleeplessness.

If exhaustion pressed down her eyelids for a moment, some image of dread flashed upon her brain and caused her to start up with a cry.