"Right! Give him some food and a bed, and we'll send him round with one of the brakes to-morrow, to bring people up to the poll. He has a gentle compelling way about him that should be useful to us. Has he brought his inarticulate friend?" "Yes." "Well, tell them to ask at the office for bedrooms." "They have done that already," said Dolly. "They are down in the kitchen now, ordering dinner. They don't propose to go to the meeting. 'Better fun outside,' they say." "Lucky little devils!" remarked the Candidate, with feeling. "And, Adrian," said Kitty, "I don't think I'll come either. I'm rather bothered about Philly." I laid down my knife and fork. "What do you mean? Is she really ill?" "N-no. I don't think so, but she is very feverish and wretched, poor kiddy. I tried to get hold of Dr Martin this afternoon, but he was miles away on an urgent case, and won't be back till to-morrow. But I got Dr Farquharson----" "Roaring Radical!" said I in horror-struck tones. --"Yes, dear, but such a nice old thing; and Scotch too, Robin----" "Aberdonian," said Robin dubiously. "Well," continued my wife, "he said she would need care, and must stay in bed. He was in a tearing hurry, as he had to go on to one of Stridge's meetings--horrid creature!--but he promised to come again on his way home. Do you think it very important that I should come with you?" I turned to my secretary. "What's your opinion, Robin?" "I think Mrs Inglethwaite should come. They like to see her on the platform, I know." "If the Candidate's wife does not appear, people say she is too grand for them," put in Champion. "I'll stay with Philly, Kit," said Dolly. "Will you? You dear! But I know you want to come yourself." "Never mind. It doesn't matter." And so it was arranged. We found the theatre packed to suffocation. A heated band of musicians (whose degrees must have been conferred _honoris causa_) had just concluded a set of airs whose sole excuse for existence was their patriotic character, and Sir Thomas Wurzel (of Heycocks) was rising to his feet, when our party appeared on the platform. Election fever was running high by this time; the critical spirit was almost entirely obliterated by a truly human desire to cut the preliminaries and hit somebody in the eye; and we were greeted with deafening cheers.