a glance of comical menace at his friend.

"Yes," said Mavering; "you'll see a very different tone about the fires,
and the fights, and the distressing accidents, in the 'Events' after
this."

"What does he mean?" she asked Boardman, giving him unavoidably the
advantage of the caressing manner which was in her mind for Mavering.

"Well, you see," said Boardman, "we have to begin pretty low down."

"Oh, but all departments of our press need reforming, don't they?" she
inquired consolingly. "One hears such shocking things about our papers
abroad. I'm sure that the more Harvard men go into them the better. And
how splendid it is to have them going into politics the way they are!
They're going into politics too, aren't they?" She looked from one young
man to the other with an idea that she was perhaps shooting rather wild,
and an amiable willingness to be laughed at if she were. "Why don't you
go into politics, Mr. Mavering?"

"Well, the fact is--"

"So many of the young University men do in England," said Mrs. Pasmer,
fortifying her position.

"Well, you see, they haven't got such a complete machine in England--"

"Oh yes, that dreadful machine!" sighed Mrs. Pasmer, who had heard of it,
but did not know in the least what it was.