Nevertheless, their names had weight in the borough.
Eustace spent Christmas at Highmead, and made frequent calls at the house of the ex-Mayor.

On one of the occasions it happened that the ladies were from home, but Mr.Mumbray, on the point of going out, begged Glazzard to come and have a word with him in his sanctum.

After much roundabout talk, characteristically pompous, he put the question whether Mr.Glazzard, as a friend of Mr.Denzil Quarrier, would "take it ill" if he, Mr.Mumbray, accepted an invitation to come forward as the candidate of the Conservative party.
"I hope you know me better," Glazzard replied.

"I have nothing whatever to do with politics." The ex-Mayor smiled thoughtfully, and went on to explain, "in strictest confidence," that there _was_ a prospect of that contingency befalling.
"Of course I couldn't hope for Mr.William's support." He paused on a note of magnanimous renunciation.
"Oh, I don't know," said Glazzard, abstractedly.

"My brother is hardly to be called a Radical.