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As Breakspeare had foretold, he was found sitting by the fireside the evening was cool enough to make a fire agreeable a churchwarden between his lips, and a brown jug of generous capacity on the table beside him. As the door opened, he turned a meditative head, and blinked myopically at his visitors before rising.
He desired to unite irreconcilable things. His practical safeguard was the humour which, after all, never allowed him to take life too seriously. A boy of sixteen, the eldest of seven children, sat down to table with them. Breakspeare made a slight apology for his presence, adding genially: "Meminisse juvabit."
He had no longer the slightest faith in his electioneering prospects, and wondered how he could ever have been sanguine about them. Of course the Conservative would win. Breakspeare knew it; every member of the committee knew it; they pretended to hope because the contest amused and occupied them. No Liberal had a chance at Hollingford. To-morrow he would throw the thing up, and disappear.
Curiosity as to what was going on at the great house kept him in a feverish state during these days before the funeral. Breakspeare, whom he saw frequently, supposed him to be in constant communication with Rivenoak, and at times hinted a desire for news, but Lashmar's cue was a dignified silence, which seemed to conceal things of high moment.
"Greatly to my satisfaction, Lady Ogram." "I'm glad to hear it. We'll talk about that presently. I'm expecting a gentleman to lunch whom you'll like to meet Mr. Breakspeare, the editor of our Liberal paper. Ah, here he comes." A servant had just opened the hall door, and there entered a slight man in a long, heavy overcoat. "Well, Mr. Breakspeare!" exclaimed the hostess, with some heartiness.
Breakspeare had few words at her command, and was evidently accustomed to be disregarded; she knew that her husband admired intellectual women, and that he often privately lamented his mistake in marriage; but none the less was she aware that he enjoyed the comfort of his home to her a sufficient recompense.
She had set her mind on our beating Robb at the poll. No one seems to know who will stand for the Conservatives. I saw Breakspeare after midnight; he was in the wildest excitement. He thinks it's good for us." "Of course you'll see Lady Ogram to-day?" "I shall come at lunch-time. That'll be best, won't it?" May nodded. Her eyes kept turning in the direction of the house.
"Do you know?" asked Lashmar, eagerly, as he gave his hand, forgetting the formal salute. "Yes. We had the news after dinner. Mr. Breakspeare sent a message." "He lived for about an hour. I came on to Hollingford late, and have passed the night at the Saracen's Head. It's to be understood, of course, that I got the news in town just in time for the last train."
Friend Breakspeare, how's your wife? Now there, Mr. Lashmar, there is a woman such as I honour! 'She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. A woman of the by-gone day gentle but strong, silent and wise. 'Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates! Mr. Lashmar, your beaker stands empty. So, by the bye, does the jug. Mrs. Ricketts!"
The meal was more than tolerable; the guest thoroughly enjoyed himself, talking with as little affectation as his nature permitted, and, with a sense of his own graciousness, often addressing to Mrs. Breakspeare a remark on the level of her intelligence. "When you come down to Hollingford," said the journalist, "I suppose you will generally stay at Lady Ogram's?" "Possibly," was the reply.
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