(_Those outside crane and glance, and then elaborately turn their backs and pretend to be talking among themselves, but betray as far as manners permit the enormous sensation the arrival has created._) STONOR. How do you do? (_Shakes hands with_ MRS. HERIOT, _who has rushed up to him with both hers outstretched. He crosses to_ JEAN, _who meets him half way; they shake hands, smiling into each other's eyes._) JEAN. Such a long time since we met! LORD J. (_to_ STONOR). You're growing very enterprising. I could hardly believe my ears when I heard you'd motored all the way from town to see a supporter on Sunday. STONOR. I don't know how we covered the ground in the old days. (_To_ LADY JOHN.) It's no use to stand for your borough any more. The American, you know, he "runs" for Congress. By and by we shall all be flying after the thing we want. (_Smiles at_ JEAN.) JEAN. Sh! (_Smiles and then glances over her shoulder and speaks low._) All sorts of irrelevant people here. FARN. (_unable to resist the temptation, comes forward_). How do you do, Mr. Stonor? STONOR. Oh--how d'you do. FARN. Some of them were arguing in the smoking-room last night whether it didn't hurt a man's chances going about in a motor. LORD J. Yes, we've been hearing a lot of stories about the unpopularity of motor-cars--among the class that hasn't got 'em, of course. What do you say? LADY JOHN. I'm sure you gain more votes by being able to reach so many more of your constituency than we used---- STONOR. Well, I don't know--I've sometimes wondered whether the charm of our presence wasn't counterbalanced by the way we tear about smothering our fellow-beings in dust and running down their pigs and chickens, not to speak of their children. LORD J. (_anxiously_). What on the whole are the prospects? (FARNBOROUGH _cranes forward_.) STONOR (_gravely_). We shall have to work harder than we realised. FARN. Ah! (_Retires towards group._) JEAN (_in a half-aside as she slips her arm in her uncle's and smiles at_ GEOFFREY). He says he believes I'll be able to make a real difference to his chances. Isn't it angelic of him? STONOR (_in a jocular tone_). Angelic? Macchiavelian. I pin all my hopes on your being able to counteract the pernicious influence of my opponent's glib wife. JEAN. You want me to have a _real_ share in it all, don't you, Geoffrey? STONOR (_smiling into her eyes_). Of course I do. (FARNBOROUGH _drops down again on pretence of talking to_ MRS. HERIOT.) LORD J. I don't gather you're altogether sanguine. Any complication? (JEAN _and_ LADY JOHN _stand close together_ (C.), _the girl radiant, following_ STONOR _with her eyes and whispering to the sympathetic elder woman._) STONOR. Well (_taking Sunday paper out of pocket_), there's this agitation about the Woman Question. Oddly enough, it seems likely to affect the issue.