And on the Tuesday morning, the very day after they had reached home, the Times brought Harry Rames news which sent him out of his study in search of his wife.
"Look, Cynthia," he said and he handed to her the paper. Cynthia read the paragraph at which he pointed.
"Mr. Devenish returned to London on Sunday evening and putting off two deputations which had been arranged for Tuesday left London hurriedly on Monday afternoon to join the Prime-Minister in Scotland."
Cynthia laid down the paper with a genuine sense of consternation. She was astonished to realize how much she now longed for the success of Harry's rather dingy plot. Fear was written upon her face.
"That means--?" she said.
"That we must look out," replied Rames. He laughed a little as a man will when the joy of battle is upon him. "Lucky Devenish can't get at my constituency. I don't know that he would try to in any case. But he can't.
"You have Arthur Pynes with you."
"Yes. And I pledged myself before I was elected to resign at once if any responsible number of my supporters objected to any action I thought it my duty to take in the House. Do you see, Cynthia?" and he laughed again. "That pledge is my safeguard. I thought it would be when I made it. If any one tries to put pressure upon me, I can always point to that pledge. I can always ask whether they would like me to resign."
"Suppose they said yes," cried Cynthia in alarm.
Harry Rames grinned.