"They dissolve at Easter!" he cried, waving his hat wildly.
"Northcote announced it at five this afternoon. Hammond has a
telegram; I met him at the station."
"Ho! ho! this is news!" answered Mr. Liversedge, starting up from
his easy-chair.
"News, indeed!" said his wife; "but that's no reason, Denzil, why
you should make my carpet all ram and mud. Do go and take your coat
off, and clean your boots, there's a good boy!"
"How can I think of coat and boots? Here, Lily, fling this garment
somewhere. Give me a duster, or something, to stand on, Molly. Toby,
we must have a meeting in a day or two. Can we get the Public Hall
for Thursday or Friday? Shall we go round and see our committee-men
to-night?"
"Time enough to-morrow; most of them are just going to bed. But how
is it no one had an inkling of this? They have kept the secret
uncommonly well."
"The blackguards! Ha, ha! Now for a good fight! It'll be old
Welwyn-Baker, after all, you'll see. They won t have the courage to
set up a new man at a moment's notice. The old buffer will come
maudling once more, and we'll bowl him off his pins!"
Lilian sat with her eyes fixed upon him. His excitement infected
her, and when they went home together she talked of the coming
struggle with joyous animation.
CHAPTER XV
The next morning--Tuesday, March 9th--there was a rush for the
London papers.
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