Williams, it should be added, was well ahead
with the details, as considerate as was consistent with
public enterprise, of the retiring member's malady, its
duration, the date of the earliest symptoms, and the
growth of anxiety in Mrs Farquharson, who had finally
insisted--and how right she was!--on the visit to the
specialist, upon which she had accompanied Mr Farquharson.
He sent round Rawlins. So that Elgin was in possession
of all the facts, and Walter Winter, who had every
pretension to contest the seat again and every satisfaction
that it wouldn't be against Farquharson, might naturally
be expected to be taken up with them sufficiently to
understand a man who slapped him on the shoulder in the
post-office with the remark I have quoted.
"I guess they know what they're about," returned Mr
Milburn. "It's a bad knock for the Grits, old Farquharson
having to drop out. He's getting up in years, but he's
got a great hold here. He'll be a dead loss in votes to
his party. I always said our side wouldn't have a chance
till the old man was out of the way."
Mr Winter twisted the watch-chain across his protuberant
waistcoat, and his chin sank in reflective folds above
his neck-tie. Above that again his nose drooped over his
moustache, and his eyelids over his eyes, which sought
the floor.
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