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Updated: May 6, 2025
Chilcote shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, I don't know," he said. "I scarcely believe in it. Lakely put a match to the powder in the 'St. George's', but 'twill only be a noise and a puff of smoke." But Fraide did not smile. "What is the feeling down at Wark?" he asked. "Has it awakened any interest?" "At Wark? Oh, I I don't quite know. I have been a little out of touch with Wark in the last few weeks.
Considering that drive in the light of after events, his own frame of mind invariably filled him with incredulity. In the eyes of any sane man his position was not worth an hour's purchase; yet in the blind self-confidence of the moment he would not have changed places with Fraide himself.
But he saw that without any ostentation she drew her skirts aside as she passed him. The action displeased him unaccountably. "Well," he said, shortly, "what had Fraide to say?" He walked to the mantel-piece with his customary movement and stood watching her. The instinct towards hiding his face had left him.
The new development for which Fraide had waited came indeed, but it came with a force he had little anticipated. With a thrill of awe and consternation men heard and repeated the astounding news that while personally exercising his authority on behalf of British traders Sir William Brice-Field, Consul-General at Meshed, had been fired at by a Russian officer and instantly killed.
Singularly privileged in a constant, personal contact with Fraide, he learned many valuable lessons of tact and organization in those five vital days during which the tactics of a whole party hung upon one item of news from a country thousands of miles away.
Through the entire ranks of the opposition, from Fraide himself downward, it caused a thrill of expectation that peculiar prophetic sensation that every politician has experienced at some moment of his career. In no member of his party did this feeling strike deeper root than in Loder.
Chilcote started and opened his eyes. "I I believe I was dozing," he said, confusedly. Fraide smiled his dry, kindly smile. "A fatal admission for a member of the Opposition," he said. "But I was looking for you earlier in the day, Chilcote. There is something behind this Persian affair. I believe it to be a mere first move on Russia's part. You big trading people will find it worth watching."
He realized that by one plunge he might save both Chilcote and himself! He crossed quickly to the fireplace and stood by Eve. "You were right in your belief," he said. "For all that time from the night you spoke to me of Fraide to the day you had tea in this room I never touched a drug." She moved suddenly, and he saw her face.
We had a regular prophesying of the whole business at Bramfell's; the great Fraide looked in for five minutes. I went on with him to the club afterwards and was there when the news came in. 'Twas a great night!" Loder's face lighted up. "I can imagine it," he said, with an unusual touch of warmth. Lakely watched him intently for a moment.
He knew that in the comparatively short interval since Parliament had risen no act of aggression had marked the Russian occupation of Meshed, but he also knew that Fraide and his followers looked askance at that great power's amiable attitude, and at sight of his leader's message his intuition stirred. Turning to the nearest lamp, he tore the envelope open and scanned the letter anxiously.
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