everything."

A week or two later, Paul had forgotten almost everything in the new
life which he led. He had journeyed to London to take his seat in the
House of Commons, and, amidst the excitement of his new experiences,
even the incidents of the election faded away. It was wonderful to
him, the nameless lad who had come to Brunford a few years before, to
be one of the legislators in the greatest Empire of the world. Even
yet he was little more than a youth, and he had practically no
experience of life. Thus London, with all its excitement, and the
world of possibilities which it revealed, made everything new to him.
Never had he realised the meaning of history until now. Never had the
greatness of his country so impressed him. Hitherto he had not
realised what his ambitions meant. Now they became clear. The House
of Commons became the pivot of the world, and it seemed to him as
though he had his hand upon the pulse of humanity. London was the
great heart of the Empire, sending out its streams of life-blood
through the length and breadth of the world. And the heart of London
was the great pile of buildings on the banks of the Thames. He was no
one as yet--just one of the unknown men among nearly seven hundred who
gathered there. He had an obscure seat in the House, and, unlike many
of the other men with whom he came into contact, he had few friends.
Still, he rejoiced in his isolation, and dreamed dreams of the time
when he would emerge from his comparative obscurity, and when his voice
would be heard in the councils of the Empire. No one was more regular
than he in his attendance at the House, and he took a supreme delight
in wandering through the buildings, and in trying to understand their
significance. Westminster Hall, especially, attracted him. He thought
of the scenes which had taken place in that historic building, and
remembered how it had stood there through the centuries. The greater
part of the parliament houses was comparatively new, but this remained
almost unchanged by the ravages of time and of fire. Here great trials
had taken place. Here great battles had been won--battles which had
changed the destinies of the nation. Brunford, which had seemed so
important to him a few years ago, was now only an insignificant
manufacturing town. It had but little history, little meaning; but
London--London was everything. There, in Westminster Abbey, close by
him, kings had been crowned and mon