plan must join the Union. They'll come together regularly; I can get
at them and make them listen to me. Why, it's a magnificent idea! It's
fighting the capitalists with their own weapons! You'll see what the
"Tocsin" 'll say. Of course they'll make out that I'm going against
Socialist principles. So I am, but it's for the sake of Socialism for
all that. If I make Socialists, it doesn't much matter how I do it.'

Adela could have contested that point, but did not care to do so. She
said:

'Are you sure you can persuade the men to trust you with their money?'

'That's the difficulty, I know; but see if I don't get over it. I'll
have a committee, holding themselves responsible for all sums paid to
us. I'll publish weekly accounts--just a leaflet, you know. And do
you know what? I'll promise that as soon as they've trusted me with a
hundred pounds, I'll add another hundred of my own. See if that won't
fetch them!'

As usual when he saw a prospect of noisy success he became excited
beyond measure, and talked incessantly till midnight.

'Other men don't have these ideas!' he exclaimed at one moment. 'That's
what I meant when I told you I was born to be a leader. And I've the
secret of getting people's confidence. They'll trust me, see if they
don't!'

In spite of Adela's unbroken reserve, he had seldom been other than
cordial in his behaviour to her since the recommencement of his
prosperity. His active life gave him no time to brood over suspicions,
though his mind was not altogether free from them. He still occasionally
came home at hours when he could not be expected, but Adela was always
occupied either with housework or reading, and received him with the
cold self-possession which came of her understanding his motives. Her
life was lonely; since a visit they had received from Alfred at the past
Christmas she had seen no friend. One day in spring Mutimer asked her
if she did not wish to see Mrs. Westlake; she replied that she had
no desire to, and he said nothing more. Stella did not write; she had
ceased to do so since receiving a certain lengthy letter from Adela, in
which the latter begged that their friendship might feed on silence
for a while. When the summer came there were pressing invitations from
Wanley, but Adela declined them. Alfred and his wife were going again
to South Wales; was it impossible for Adela to join them? Letty wrote a
letter full of affectionate pleading, but it was useless.

In August