The faint note of mockery in her tone was clearly apparent. Mannering found it hard to answer her calmly.
"Come," he said, "put it into plain words. What does it mean? What do you want?"
"Sir Leslie tells me," she said, raising her eyes and looking him in the face, "that his party is prepared to find you a safe seat to-morrow. I want you to give up your hermit's life and accept it."
"You have it already before you. Your reception of it was not, I must admit, altogether flattering."
"I am allowed," he said, "some short space of time for consideration?"
"Until to-morrow, if you wish," she answered. "I imagine you know pretty well what you mean to do."
He picked up his hat and turned towards the door.
Borrowdean sank into the chair which Berenice had indicated, with a little sigh of relief.
"These all-night sittings," he remarked, "get less of a joke as one advances in years. You read the reports this morning?"
"Our little conspiracy," he continued, "is bearing fruit. Honestly, Mannering is a surprise, even to me. After these years of rust I scarcely expected him to step back at once into all his former brilliancy. His speech last night was wonderful."
"I heard it," she said. "You are quite right. It was wonderful."
"You were in the House?" he asked, looking up quickly.
"I was there till midnight," she answered.
"His speech," he remarked, "sounded even better than it read."
"I thought so," she admitted. "He has all the smaller tricks of the orator, as well as the gift of eloquence. One can always listen to him with pleasure."
"Will you pardon me," Borrowdean asked, "if I make a remark which may sound a little impertinent? You and Mannering were great friends at Blakely. On my first visit there you will remember that you did not attempt to conceal that there was more than an ordinary intimacy between you. Yet to-day I notice that there are indications on both your parts of a desire to avoid one another as much as possible. It seems to me a pity that you two should not be friends. Is there any small misunderstanding which a common friend--such as I trust I may call myself--might help to smooth away?"
"It is strange," she said, "that you should talk to me like this, you who are certainly responsible for any estrangement there may be between Mr. Mannering and myself. Please answer me this question. Why do you wish us to be friends?"