told him Valerie’s father was back. He had had but a few minutes to reflect upon the fact that kissing her had made an enormous difference to his attitude towards her father. He was now prepared to resent any probing, covert or open, as to his acquaintance with her. But Davenport Carr was far too clever to show his hand to a man he suspected of being cleverer than himself. And besides all he saw so far was a situation and its possibilities.
Dane led the way to a private room and ordered a preliminary drink. They sat down opposite each other.
“You’re looking deucedly well, Barrington.”
“I’ve been living a good deal in the open air this last six months.”
“Very sensible. What chance do you think Benton has?”
“The best any man has ever had against Mobray.”
“Isn’t there a prohibition man out?”
“Yes, but he won’t be in at the finish.”
“Ah, can be persuaded to stand down, eh?”
“I think so.”
Carr smiled across the table at the non-committal white face and into the eyes that met his with easy frankness. “Ah! how few of us could not be persuaded to stand down, eh, Barrington?”
“Few indeed, I'm afraid. And if I were Benton it isn’t Dodge that would worry me, it is Townshend.”
“Ah. Big labour vote there?”
“The result lies there, if it ever lies in any one place in an election. But I’m going to warm up Townshend, very carefully, you know. I’ll have some leaders on the pioneer work done for the North by these big employers who came in and battled against desperate odds. He had quite a pull, I believe, and it won’t hurt to point it out. It will please him, and it may help to make him neutral,
