One night he was walking home earlier than usual when he caught a glimpse of her in Piccadilly. A brougham passed by, and he saw her leaning back with pale face and listless eyes. He bent forward eagerly, and a moment afterward regretted it. For she saw him and immediately pulled the checkstring. He threaded his way among the stream of vehicles to where her carriage remained on the other side of the road. A footman opened the door for him. She gathered up a snowy profusion of white satin skirt and made room for him by her side. "You are my salvation," she murmured, with a faint smile. "Please hurry." He hesitated. "But----" An imperious little gesture. He was by her side, and the door was softly closed. "To Amberley House, your ladyship?" the man asked, glancing discreetly at Strone's gray clothes and soft hat. "Home." The carriage stopped before the corner house of a handsome square. They passed up the steps together. "This is your first visit to me," she remarked, "and you have had to be dragged here. We will go upstairs." They passed through a dimly lighted drawing-room, the air of which seemed to Strone faint and sweet with the perfume of many flowers, out onto a shaded balcony, over which was a long, striped awning. In the corner were two low basket chairs. She sank into one and motioned him to take the other. "This," she murmured, "is luxury. Smoke, if you will--and talk to me. Tell me how you are getting on in the House." "None too well," he answered gloomily. "I am all the while upon the brink of a volcano--and somehow I do not fancy that it will be long before the eruption comes." "What do you mean?" she asked, turning her pale face toward him. "I do not understand. I cannot believe that there is any one in the House whose position is more secure than yours." He smiled grimly. "My party," he said, "are thinking of dropping me!" "Well," she said, "let them throw you over. Who but themselves would suffer! Personally, I believe that your association with them is only a drag upon you." "That is all very well," he answered. "They are a rough lot, I know, and most of them fatally ignorant. I do not believe that any class of men in the world are so girt about with prejudices as those whose eyes have been opened a little way. But, after all, they each have a vote, and as parties are at present they are an immensely powerful factor in the situation." "That," she said, "is only a temporary matter, a matter of weeks or months. After all, you must remember they are an isolated body of men in the House. Your place is with the only great party of progress. You are moving toward them day by day. Your joining them sooner or later is inevitable." He smiled. "Lord Sydenham has been very kind to me," he said, "but I fancy I should be a sort of ugly duckling among the Conservatives." "You would be in office in less than twelve months," she declared. "Do let me tell Sydenham that he may talk to you about this." He shook his head.