e Jacob Botcher, pressing forward as fast as his
bulk would permit and with the newspaper in his hand, was met by a calm
and distant manner which discomposed that statesman, and froze his stout
index finger to the editorial which "perhaps Mr. Crewe had not seen."

Mr. Crewe was too big for resentment, but he knew how to meet people who
didn't measure up to his standards. Yes, he had seen the editorial, and
the weather still continued fine. The Honourable Jacob was left behind
scratching his head, and presently he sought a front seat in which to
think, the back ones not giving him room enough. The brisk, cheery
greeting of the Honourable Brush Bascom fared no better, but Mr. Bascom
was a philosopher, and did not disturb the great when their minds were
revolving on national affairs and the welfare of humanity in general. Mr.
Speaker Doby and Mr. Ridout got but abstract salutations also, and were
correspondingly dismayed.

That day, and for many days thereafter, Mr. Crewe spent some time--as was
entirely proper--among the back seats, making the acquaintance of his
humbler fellow members of the submerged four hundred and seventy. He had
too long neglected this, so he told them, but his mind had been on high
matters. During many of his mature years he had pondered as to how the
welfare of community and State could be improved, and the result of that
thought was embodied in the bills of which they had doubtless received
copies. If not, down went their names in a leather-bound memorandum, and
they got copies in the next mails.

The delight of some of the simple rustic members at this unbending of a
great man may be imagined. To tell the truth, they had looked with little
favour upon the intimacy which had sprung up between him and those
tyrannical potentates, Messrs. Botcher and Bascom, and many who had the
courage of their convictions expressed then very frankly. Messrs. Botcher
and Bascom were, when all was said, mere train despatchers of the
Northeastern, who might some day bring on a wreck the like of which the
State had never seen. Mr. Crewe was in a receptive mood; indeed his
nature, like Nebuchadnezzar's, seemed to have experienced some
indefinable and vital change. Was this the Mr. Crewe the humble rural
members had pictured to themselves? Was this the Mr. Crewe who, at the
beginning of the session, had told them roundly it was their duty to vote
for his bills?

Mr. Crewe was surprised, he said, to hear so much sent