They professed to be content to let the issue
have it; meanwhile they congratulated Lorne on his chance,
telling him that a knock or two wouldn't do him any harm
at his age. Walter Winter, who hadn't been on speaking
terms with Farquharson, made a point of shaking hands
with Murchison in the publicity of the post-office, and
assuring him that he, Winter, never went into a contest
more confident of the straight thing on the part of the
other side. Such cavilling as there was came from the
organized support of his own party and had little importance
because it did. The grumblers fell into line almost as
soon as Horace Williams said they would; a little oil,
one small appointment wrung from the Ontario
Government--Fawkes, I believe, got it--and the machine
was again in good working order. Lorne even profited, in
the opinion of many, by the fact of his youth, with its
promise of energy and initiative, since Mr Farquharson
had lately been showing the defects as well as the
qualities of age and experience, and the charge of servile
timidity was already in the mouths of his critics.
The agricultural community took it, as usual, with phlegm;
but there was a distinct tendency in the bar at Barker's,
on market-days, to lay money on the colt.
CHAPTER XXIV
Mr Farquharson was to retain his seat until the early
spring, for the double purpose of maintaining his influence
upon an important commission of which he was chairman
until the work should be done, and of giving the imperial
departure championed by his successor as good a chance
as possible of becoming understood in the constituency.
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