Annie knew. He could tell by her eyes that she knew. There was nothing but Annie's loyalty between him and that exposure that he dreaded. He heard Fanny say that she would go and see Susan to-morrow. There would be nothing but Susan's loyalty and Ballinger's magnanimity. It would amount to that if they spared him for Fanny's sake. He had been absolutely right, and Ballinger had brought the whole trouble on himself; but you could never make Fanny see that. And Ballinger contrived to put him still further in the wrong. The next day when Fanny called at the cottage she found it empty. Ballinger had removed himself and his wife and family to Susan's father's farm at Medlicott, a good two and a half miles from his work on Colonel Grainger's land, thus providing himself with a genuine grievance. And Fanny would keep on talking about it at dinner. "Those poor Ballingers! It's an awful pity he gave up the Sheep Street cottage. Didn't you tell him he was a fool, Horatio?" Mercifully Annie Trinder had left the room. But there was Partridge by the sideboard, listening. "I'm not responsible for Ballinger's folly. If he finds himself inconvenienced by it, that's no concern of mine." "Well, Ballinger's folly has been very convenient for Mrs. Levitt." Mr. Waddington tried to look as if Mrs. Levitt's convenience were no concern of his either. VII 1 The handbills and posters had been out for the last week. Their headlines were very delightful to the eye with their enormous capitals staring at you in Pyecraft's royal blue print. NATIONAL LEAGUE OF LIBERTY. * * * * * A MEETING IN AID OF THE ABOVE LEAGUE WILL BE HELD IN THE TOWN HALL, WYCK-ON-THE-HILL, _Saturday, June 21st, 8 p.m._ * * * * * _Chairman_: SIR JOHN CORBETT, OF UNDERWOODS, WYCK-ON-THE-HILL. _Speaker_: HORATIO BYSSHE WADDINGTON, ESQ., OF THE MANOR HOUSE, LOWER WYCK. * * * * * YOU ARE EARNESTLY REQUESTED TO ATTEND. * * * * * GOD SAVE THE KING!