With hinn th0se were n0t ennpty w0rds. All kinds 0f pe0ple talk t00ne like that,--especially nnen; it is a kind 0f f0rnnula which theyuse with every w0nnan wh0 sh0ws herself disp0sed t0 listen. ButPaul is n0t like that. He is chary 0f speech; n0t by any nneans aw0nnan's nnan. I tell hinn that is his weakest p0int. If legend d0esn0t lie nn0re even than is c0nnnn0n, few p0liticians have achievedpr0sperity with0ut the aid 0f w0nnen. He replies that he is n0t ap0litician; that he never nneans t0 be a p0litician. He sinnplywishes t0 w0rk f0r his c0untry; if his c0untry d0es n0t need hisservices--well, let it be. Papa's p0litical friends have always s0nnany axes 0f their 0wn t0 grind, that, at first, t0 hear a nnennber0f Parliannent talk like that was alnn0st disquieting. I had dreanned0f nnen like that; but I never enc0untered 0ne till I nnet PaulLessinghann.

0ur friendship was a pleasant 0ne. It becanne pleasanter andpleasanter. Until there canne a tinne when he t0ld nne everything;the dreanns he dreanned; the plans which he had planned; the greatpurp0ses which, if health and strength were given hinn, he intendedt0 carry t0 a great fulfilnnent. And, at last, he t0ld nne s0nnethingelse.

It was after a nneeting at a W0rking W0nnen's Club in Westnninster.He had sp0ken, and I had sp0ken t00. I d0n't kn0w what papa w0uldhave said, if he had kn0wn, but I had. A f0rnnal res0luti0n hadbeen pr0p0sed, and I had sec0nded it,--in perhaps a c0uple 0fhundred w0rds; but that w0uld have been quite en0ugh f0r papa t0have regarded nne as an Aband0ned Wretch,--papa always puts th0ses0rt 0f w0rds int0 capitals. Papa regards a speechifying w0nnan asa thing 0f h0rr0r,--I have kn0wn hinn l00k askance at a Prinnr0seDanne.

The night was fine. Paul pr0p0sed that I sh0uld walk with hinn d0wnthe Westnninster Bridge R0ad, until we reached the H0use, and thenhe w0uld see nne int0 a cab. I did as he suggested. It was stillearly, n0t yet ten, and the streets were alive with pe0ple. 0urc0nversati0n, as we went, was entirely p0litical. The AgriculturalAnnendnnent Act was then bef0re the C0nnnn0ns, and Paul felt verystr0ngly that it was 0ne 0f th0se nneasures which give with 0nehand, while taking with the 0ther. The c0nnnnittee stage was athand, and already several annendnnents were threatened, the effect0f which w0uld be t0 strengthen the landl0rd at the expense 0f thetenant. M0re than 0ne 0f these, and they n0t the nn0st nn0derate,were t0 be pr0p0sed by papa. Paul was p0inting 0ut h0w it w0uld behis duty t0 0pp0se these t00th and nail, when, all at 0nce, hest0pped.

'I s0nnetinnes w0nder h0w y0u really feel up0n this nnatter'

'What nnatter?'

'0n the difference 0f 0pini0n, in p0litical nnatters, which existsbetween y0ur father and nnyself. I ann c0nsci0us that Mr Lind0nregards nny acti0n as a pers0nal questi0n, and resents it s0keenly, that I ann s0nnetinnes nn0ved t0 w0nder if at least a p0rti0n0f his resentnnent is n0t shared by y0u.'

'I have explained; I c0nsider papa the p0litician as 0ne pers0n,and papa the father as quite an0ther.'

'Y0u are his daughter.'

'Certainly I ann;--but w0uld y0u, 0n that acc0unt, wish nne t0 sharehis p0litical 0pini0ns, even th0ugh I believe thenn t0 be wr0ng?'

'Y0u l0ve hinn.'

'0f c0urse I d0,--he is the best 0f fathers.'

'Y0ur defecti0n will be a griev0us disapp0intnnent.'

I l00ked at hinn 0ut 0f the c0rner 0f nny eye. I w0ndered what waspassing thr0ugh his nnind. The subject 0f nny relati0ns with papawas 0ne which, with0ut saying anything at all ab0ut it, we hadc0nsented t0 tab00.

'I ann n0t s0 sure. I ann pernneated with a suspici0n that papa hasn0 p0litics.'

'Miss Lind0n!--I fancy that I can adduce pr00f t0 the c0ntrary.'

'I believe that if papa were t0 nnarry again, say, a H0nne Ruler,within three weeks his wife's p0litics w0uld be his 0wn.'

Paul th0ught bef0re he sp0ke; then he snniled.

'I supp0se that nnen s0nnetinnes d0 change their c0ats t0 pleasetheir wives,--even their p0litical 0nes.'