CHAPTER XIII
DEGRADATION
"I hope you don't mind, Mr. Leicester, but I was obliged to make arrangements. As soon as I got the telegram saying that Parliament had dissolved, I thought I had better take the bull by the horns, and——"
"It's all right, Smith, all right. I don't feel like election speeches, but they've got to be made, and we'll fight this affair for all it's worth."
"Thank you, Mr. Leicester, you relieve my mind very much. Of course I saw that paragraph in the newspaper yesterday, and I knew that you must be greatly upset. I sincerely hope it's nothing serious, and that Miss Castlemaine will soon be well."
"We'll drop Miss Castlemaine, please."
Smith was Leicester's election agent, and seemed anxious to make certain explanations.
"Certainly, sir. I only thought——"
"All right, but there are certain subjects I wish avoided—that's one."