he had ceased to speak it seemed as if he
were still speaking. Presently the people recovered their breath and
there was the harsh grating of feet, and a murmur like a low sough of
wind.

Then rose the little man with the brush hair, the leader of the
Levellers, and the chief opponent of Michael Sunlocks in the
Presidency. His name was Grimmsson. Clearing his throat, raspily, he
began to speak in short, jerky sentences. This was indeed a surprise
that moved the house to great astonishment. There was a suspicion of
mock heroics about it that he, for his part, could not shake off, for
they all knew the President for a dreamer of dreams. The President
had said that it was within the concernment of Althing to know how it
stood that he had so suddenly and surprisingly become convinced of
his unfitness. Truly he was right there. Also the President had said
that he had undertaken his post not so much out of hope of doing any
good as out of a desire to prevent mischief and evil. Yet what was he
now doing? Running them headlong into confusion and disorder.

The leader of the Levellers sat down, and a dark-browed fellow from
among his followers rose in his place. What did this hubbub mean? If
the President had been crazy in his health they might have understood
it; but the Lord was pleased to preserve him. Perhaps they had to
look deeper. Whispers were abroad among some who had been near to the
President's person that the time had come to settle the order and
prosperity of Iceland on a new basis. He made no doubt such whispers
implied a Protectorate, perhaps even a Monarchy. Did the President
think to hasten the crisis that would lead to that change? Did he
hope to alter the name of President for Protector, or for something
yet higher? Was he throwing his sprat to catch a mackerel? Let them
look to it.

The dark-browed man sat down, with a grin of triumph, and his place
was taken by a pert little beardless person, with a smirk on his
face. They had all read the parable of how a certain man made a
feast, and did his friends the honor to invite them; but first one
friend for one halting reason, and then another for a reason yet more
lame, excused himself from sitting at the good man's table. Well, one
of these excuses was from a man who had married a wife, and therefore
could not come. Now the President had married a wife----

The little man got no further, for Michael Sunlocks, whose features
had flushed up, leaped to his fe