“Well, old woman,” said John Avenel, “I must be off presently to see to those three shaky voters in Fish Lane; they will have done their work soon, and I shall catch ’em at home. They do say as how we may have an opposition; and I know that old Smikes has gone to Lonnon in search of a candidate. We can’t have the Lansmere Constitutional Blues beat by a Lonnoner! Ha, ha, ha!” “But you will be home before Jane and her husband Mark come? How ever she could marry a common carpenter!” “Yes,” said John, “he _is_ a carpenter; but he has a vote, and that strengthens the family interest. If Dick was not gone to Amerikay, there would be three on us. But Mark is a real good Blue! A Lonnoner, indeed!—a Yellow from Lonnon beat my Lord and the Blues! Ha, ha!” “But, John, this Mr Egerton is a Lonnoner?” “You don’t understand things, talking such nonsense. Mr Egerton is the Blue candidate, and the Blues are the Country Party; therefore how can he be a Lonnoner? An uncommon clever, well grown, handsome young man, eh! and my young lord’s particular friend.” Mrs Avenel sighed. “What are you sighing and shaking your head for?” “I was thinking of our poor, dear, dear Nora!” “God bless her!” cried John, heartily. There was a rustle under the boughs of the old hollow-hearted pollard tree. “Ha! ha! Hark! I said that so loud that I have startled the ravens!” “How he did love her!” said Mrs Avenel thoughtfully. “I am sure he did; and no wonder, for she looks every inch a lady; and why should not she be my lady, after all?” “He? Who? Oh, that foolish fancy of yours about my young lord? A prudent woman like you!—stuff! I am glad my little beauty is gone to Lonnon, out of harm’s way.” “John—John—John! No harm could ever come to my Nora. She’s too pure and too good, and has too proper a pride in her, to”— “To listen to any young lords, I hope,” said John; “though,” he added, after a pause, “she might well be a lady too. My lord, the young one, took me by the hand so kindly the other day, and said, ‘Have not you heard from her—I mean Miss Avenel—lately?’ and those bright eyes of his were as full of tears as—as—as yours are now.” “Well, John, well; go on.” “That is all. My lady came up, and took me away to talk about the election; and just as I was going, she whispered, ‘Don’t let my wild boy talk to you about that sweet girl of yours. We must both see that she does not come to disgrace.’ ‘Disgrace!’ that word made me very angry for the moment. But my lady has such a way with her, that she soon put me right again. Yet, I do think Nora must have loved my young lord, only she was too good to show it. What do you say?” And the father’s voice was thoughtful. “I hope she’ll never love any man till she’s married to him; it is not proper, John,” said Mrs Avenel, somewhat starchly, though very mildly.