Margaret Maliphant

								

knitted his brow and let his jaw fall, as he always did when annoyed.
"I don't know how we came to talk politics," Hoad went on, "but we did,
and I thought to myself, 'Why, here's just the man for Maliphant.'
I never knew any one else go as far as you do; but this young
fellow--why, he nearly beat you, 'pon my soul he did!"
"Politics!" echoed father, frowning more unmistakably than ever; "what
have they got to do with the matter?"
"Come, now, Maliphant, you're not going to keep that farce up forever,"
cried Mr. Hoad, in his most intimate and good-natured fashion. Oh, how
I resented it when he would treat father as though he were on perfect
equality with him! For my father's daughter I was intolerant; but then
Mr. Hoad patronized, and patronizing was not necessary in order to be
consistent.
"What do you mean?" asked father.
"It was all very well for you to swear you would have nothing to do
with us before," continued Mr. Hoad. "You did not think we should ever
get hold of a man who looked at things as you do. But now we have.
And if you really have the Radical cause at heart, as you say, you
will be able to get him in for the county. He has got everything in
his favor--good name, good presence, good-breeding. Those are the men
to run your notions; not your measly, workaday fellows--they have no
influence with the masses."
Father rose from the table. His eyebrows nearly met in their
overhanging shagginess, and his eyes were small and brilliant.
"I don't think I understand you, Hoad," said he. "We seem to be at
cross-purposes. Do you mean to say that this young man wants to get
into Parliament?"
"Oh, no plans, no plans whatever, I should say," said Hoad. "He
merely asked me who was going to contest the Tory seat; and when I
asked him if he was a Radical, he aired a few sentiments which, as I
tell you, are quite in your line. But I should think we might easily
persuade him--he seemed so very eager. If you would back our man,
Maliphant, we should be safe whoever he was, I do believe," added the
solicitor, emphatically. "He has a really wonderful influence with the
working-classes, that husband of yours, ma'am," he finished up, turning
to mother.
"Yes," said she, proudly; "Laban's a fine orator. When I heard him
speak at the meeting the other day he fairly took my breath away, that
he did."
Mother looked up at father with a pleased smile, for she loved to hear
him praised, but for my own part I knew very well that he was in no
mood for pleasant speeches.
"I have always told you, Hoad, that it's no part of my scheme to go in
for politics," said he, in a low voice, but very decisively. "I see no
reason to change my mind."
"Well, my dear fellow, but that's absurd," answered Mr. Hoad, still in
that provokingly friendly fashion. "However do you expect to get what
you want?"
"Not through Parliament, anyhow," said father, laconically. "I never
heard of any Act of Parliament that gave bread to the poor out of the