"Of course we'd rather win without it," said Jimmy irritably. "It's not our fault. Go to Japhet Williams, or, best of all, persuade Mildmay not to be a fool. Why won't he answer?"
"Have you had any talk with Quisanté about it?"
"Very little. He thinks pretty much what I've said."
"Or with Lady May?" asked the Dean with a direct glance.
"She's never mentioned it to me."
"The whole affair is deplorable."
"I don't see what we can do." Jimmy's tone was rather defiant.
The Dean fell into thought and, as the result thereof, made a proposition; it was very much that suggestion to Quisanté on which Sir Winterton had frowned so scornfully.
"If," said he, "I could persuade Sir Winterton to give Mr. Quisanté a private assurance that the scandal is entirely baseless, would Mr. Quisanté state publicly that he was convinced of its falsity and did not wish it to influence the electors in any way?"
"Perhaps he would," said Jimmy.