"Before long, I hope, Lady Ogram. The pleasure of these two days—"
She interrupted him.
"Could you come down in a fortnight?"
"Easily, and gladly."
"Then do so. Don't go to Hollingford; your room will be ready for you here. Just write and let me know when you will arrive."
In a few minutes, both men took their leave, and went back to Hollingford together, driving in a fly which Breakspeare had ordered. For the first minutes they hardly talked; they avoided each other's look, and exchanged only insignificant words. Then the editor, with his blandest smile, said in a note of sudden cordiality:
"It has been a great pleasure to me to meet you, Mr. Lashmar. May I, without indiscretion, take it for granted that we shall soon be fighting the good fight together?"
"Why, I think it likely," answered Dyce, in a corresponding tone. "I have not quite made up my mind—"
"No, no. I understand. There's just one point I should like to touch upon. To-day we have enjoyed a veritable symposium—for me, I assure you, a high intellectual treat. But, speaking to you as to one who does not know Hollingford, I would suggest to you that our Liberal electors are perhaps hardly ripe for such a new and bracing political philosophy—"
Dyce broke into gay laughter.