it--give you my word."

"Wait till to-morrow morning, and by then you may have slept upon it,"
she counselled.

"You'll drive me to drink!" he murmured.

She rose with a laugh. "In that case I must go. I ought to be labelled
'dangerous.' Don't you think so, Dick? Besides, I'm going for a drive,
and must put on my things. These my letters? Au revoir." And, with a
wave of her hand she left them.

Banstead lingered by the threshold and took up an illustrated paper. The
maid, in response to Dick's summons, bore away the letters for the rest
of the household. Austin and Dick concerned themselves with their
correspondence, Dick's chiefly consisting of gardeners' catalogues.

For a while there was silence. It was broken by a loud laugh from
Austin.

"Dick! I say, Dick! What do you think these village idiots have asked me
to do? To accept their nomination and stand as a Rural District
Councillor! Me!"

Dick quickly crossed to the table where his brother was sitting.

"That's my letter, old chap. I must here put it in your heap by mistake.
The invitation is meant for me."

"You?" laughed Austin. "Why, what do you want to fool about with village