He disappeared then, but I met him again later. He was still a waiter, brought in on the occasion of a small dinner-party in the suburbs of London. I thought he looked much happier, but I wondered what he found worth his attention in the present company. My host I knew to be an angel, scarcely disguised, as incorruptible as fire. The guests seemed nothing in particular. They left at the hour decreed by good taste; we left an hour later. I had a moment’s conversation in the hall with my friend, while my husband was saying his last “Well now, look here,” over a drink.
“Who is it to-night?” I said. “Do tell me before they come out.”
“A gentleman as Mr. Satan has set his heart on, Miss,” he replied, with a careful eye on the open door of the smoking-room. “Third on your left as you sat at dinner. [I remembered his face after we got home, a blue-eyed, nervous little father with a drooping moustache.] He’s a gentleman in business, Miss, and would like to do right, I feel sure of that. That’s why I’ve been sent. Fortunately for us his trade’s a speculative one, in which it’s easy to make suggestions. A little intelligence is all that’s needed, and that, as a rule, they haven’t got. Mr. Satan’s a good deal interested in this case because of the gentleman’s principles. He’s been brought up with a great fear of anything like dishonesty. I’m afraid it’s upsetting his health a good deal. Good night, Miss; here they come. Your carriage up now, sir.”
CHAPTER XIV: ELECTIONEERING
I turned the corner of the street in a tremendous hurry and ran into Reginald and Polly. They both looked as if they had had news of a death, although they did not actually show signs of grief. It was a peculiar look they had, half importance, half vexation. I stopped for a moment in surprise, and Polly said to her husband, “I think we shall want Martha, Reginald.”
“Now, be careful,” I said, a little shortly. “I have had almost enough of you two. If you want to have your photographs taken again you must go by yourselves. Polly! [It was a dreadful idea, but quite likely.] You weren’t going to ask me to help you to have the baby taken?”
“Baby!” Polly said contemptuously. “It will be a long time before I think of having baby taken anywhere. I certainly won’t take it round canvassing with a blue ribbon round its neck like those other dreadful people did.”
“I have got to have an election, Martha,” Reginald explained. “It is my turn to come out, and they are going to oppose me. It is nothing personal; they are fighting all they can this year all over the town.”
“I forgot that you were on the City Council,” I said.
“You wouldn’t forget if you were me,” observed Polly. “Here, come into this café and have tea, and we’ll make things as clear as possible to you.”