‘I believe he does,’ replied Clarice promptly.  ‘Mrs. Willoughby.’

Fielding stopped and apostrophised the stars.  ‘That is perfectly untrue,’ he said.  He walked on again as soon as he perceived that he had stopped, adding, with a grumble, ‘I pity the woman who marries Drake.’

‘Why?’ asked Clarice in a tone of complete surprise, as though the idea was incomprehensible to her, and she repeated insistently, ‘Why?’

‘Well,’ he said, inventing a reason, ’I think he would never stand in actual need of her.’  Clarice drew a sharp breath—­a sigh of longing, it seemed to her companion, as for something desirable beyond all blessings.  He continued in the tone of argument, ’And she would come to know that.  Surely she would feel it.’

‘Yes, but feel proud of it perhaps,’ replied Clarice, ’proud of him just for that reason.  All her woman’s tricks she would know useless to move him.  Nothing she could do would make him swerve.  Oh yes, she would feel proud—­proud of him and proud of herself because he stooped to choose her.’  She corrected the ardency of her voice of a sudden; it dropped towards indifference.  ‘At all events I can imagine that possible.’

They were within fifty yards of the hotel, and walked silently the rest of the way.  At the door, however, she said, turning weary eyes upon Fielding, ‘And think!  The repose of it for her.’

‘Ah, here you are!’ The robustious voice of Captain Le Mesurier sounded from the hall.  ‘Look here,’ to Fielding, ’we are going to take you back with us.  Drake won’t come.  He’s tired—­so we don’t miss him.’

Fielding protested vainly that he would crowd the waggonette.  Besides, he had business matters to discuss with Drake before he left for London.

’Well, you can talk them over to-morrow.  You don’t go until to-morrow night.  And as to crowding the waggonette, I have ordered a trap here; so you can drive it back again to-night, if you like, from Garples.  Otherwise we’ll be happy to put you up.  You must come; we want to talk to you particularly.  Mallinson will drive his wife in the trap, so there’ll be plenty of room.’

The party in the waggonette consisted of Captain Le Mesurier, Burl, Fielding, and five country gentlemen belonging to the district.  Clarice, riding some yards behind them through the dark fragrant lanes, saw eight glowing cigars draw together in a bunch.  The cigars were fixed points of red light for a little.  Then they danced as though heads were wagging, retired this side and that and set to partners.  A minute more and the figure was repeated:  cigars to the centre, dance, retire, set to partners.  A laugh from the Captain sounded as though he laughed from duty, and Mr. Burl was heard to say, ’Not too subtle, old man, you know.’  At the third repetition the Captain bellowed satisfaction from a full heart, and Mr. Burl cried, ‘Capital!’ The country gentlemen could be understood to agree in the commendation.  Whence it was to be inferred that the dance of the cigars was to have a practical result upon the election.