By his jaunty stride and his air of excessive joviality--the mark of the successful local politician--Stephen recognized Julius Gershom, the campaign-maker, as people called him, who had stood behind Gideon Vetch from the beginning of his career.

"What an unconscionable bounder the fellow is," thought Stephen as he passed him.
What an abundance of self-assertiveness he had contrived to express in his thin spruce figure, his tightly curling black hair, which grew too low on his forehead, and his short black moustache with pointed ends which curved up like polished metal from his full red lips.
"I suppose he is on his way to the Governor," mused the young man idly.
"How on earth does Vetch stand him ?" But to his surprise, when he glanced back again, he saw that Gershom had passed the mansion, and was hurrying down the walk which the strange woman had followed a moment before.

Stephen could still see her figure approaching a distant gate; and he observed presently that Gershom was not far behind her, and that he appeared to be speaking her name.

She started and turned quickly with a movement of alarm; and then, as Gershom joined her, she went on again in the direction she had first taken.

A few minutes later their rapidly moving figures left the Square and passed down the street beyond the high iron fence.
"I wonder what it means ?" thought Stephen indifferently.