"Who? The six million people who live there. No, I will except you. I do not find you are poisonous here, at least."
"Thank you. But what have you done with yourself these three days?"
"Ah, that is the secret of the country! In town one has to do things one's self; the country does them all for you. You sit and you walk; you pick long feathery pieces of grass, and chew them like a cow; you think very intently for long periods, and at the end find that you have been thinking about nothing whatever. There is nothing so restful; and I have been wanting rest. I was a good deal worried about a certain matter before I left town."
He looked at her.
"I will subscribe to any institution that will guarantee you freedom from worry," he said.
"That is very kind of you, but the only way your institution could be of use would be by giving me a painless death; and I do not wish to die at all. No, you must spend your money some other way. Talking of that, have you made up your mind to stand for Parliament? It looks as if I accused you prospectively of bribery and corruption. I do not mean to."
"I wanted to talk to you about that. That was—one of the reasons why I came down to-day. I have been asked to stand for East Surrey, but by the Liberals."
She stopped suddenly.
"By the Liberals?" she said. "That will come as a great surprise to your friends, will it not?"