Page:The council of seven.djvu/223

 The pessimism of Mr. Ambrose Furley grew a shade less defiant. "However, you may have a dog's chance, Mr. Endor, and that's about all. But take it from me, sir, even that chance depends, as you might say, on one contingency."

"So you think we may still venture to hope?" There was a light in the eye of John Endor.

"I don't put it as high as a hope, sir." In his use of the English language Mr. Furley liked to be precise. "A shadow of a hope is more like it. And as I have already said even that depends upon one contingency."

With the urbanity that all the Member's supporters so greatly admired, Mr. Endor waited patiently while Mr. Ambrose Furley in his own good time proceeded to show what "the contingency" was. "It's like this, do you see, sir? We mustn't be blind to the fact that we are up against a ticklish situation. The voting in this election is going to be very cross. Now that you've come out so strong, much too strong most of us think here, against the U. P. there's bound to be a big turn-*over of votes, unless we can get one man to come down on the right side of the fence. It's just on the cards, if the gentleman in question does that, that we may not be beaten to a frazzle. But I don't say he will. At the moment he's seated on it. By nature he's a blue, a regular blue—but there's just a chance that, by a bit of management, he may come over to us. And