“Ah! And now, do you know, I am almost afraid that the idea will have to be abandoned. I hesitate whether I ought to allow my daughter to think of Mr. Hammond any longer.” “Dear me! I am very sorry to hear your ladyship say that.” Her ladyship shook her head sadly. “Yes. I have no doubt you understand the reason.” The alderman’s face again clearly betraying that he had not the remotest idea of the reason, Despencer came to his assistance once more. “The marchioness refers to Mr. Hammond’s attentions to this music-hall singer, Belle Yorke.” Alderman Dobbin sat horror-struck. He was not acquainted with Belle Yorke by name, but of music-hall singers as a class his ideas could only have been expressed in language severely Biblical. The marchioness hastened to drive the nail home. “All his friends must share the same feelings about this unfortunate attachment,” she observed, in a tone of sympathetic condolence. “What effect, in your opinion, Mr. Dobbin, would his marrying a girl of that kind have on his position here?” “He would never get in for Tooting again. The Liberals have got a very strong candidate--Sir Thomas Huggins, a baronet. I dare say your ladyship knows him?” Her ladyship was not quite sure whether she had met Sir Thomas Huggins. “His social influence here is very strong. His wife, Lady Huggins, gives a garden-party every summer, and many Primrose Dames go to it. We are beginning to be afraid for the seat, as it is.” “Then you consider, speaking as a judge of the political situation, that if Mr. Hammond were to marry beneath him, instead of making such a match as it is in his power to do, it would seriously affect his prospects?” “It would be fatal to them, my lady.” The marchioness looked up at the ceiling. “What a pity he has no wise and candid friend to point this out to him, and remonstrate with him on behalf of the--er--the party!” Curiously enough, there was just such a wise and candid friend in the room ready and willing to undertake the task. “Your ladyship may leave it to me,” said the eager alderman. “I will take it on myself to point out to Mr. Hammond the--the--” “Political situation,” suggested Despencer. The marchioness threw a smile of admiration at the wise and candid friend. “The very thing!” she exclaimed, with a fine assumption of having been taken entirely by surprise. “No one else could do this so well. I have no doubt that a few judicious words from you will be sufficient to open Mr. Hammond’s eyes. Ahem! Have the--er--the rumors about this young woman reached you?” “What rumors, my lady? I haven’t heard anything about her.” The marchioness raised her eyebrows, and then appealed by an eloquent look to Mr. Despencer. Despencer shook his head with the air of a good man whose righteous soul was vexed by the bare recollection of others’ iniquity.