s us that he is suffering from American
competition--here and in the Colonies. He tells us that the workpeople
themselves are largely to blame, that their trades unions restrict them
to such an extent that he is hopelessly handicapped from the start. But
there are other causes. There is a terrible wave of depression all
through the country. The working classes have no money to spend. Every
industry is flagging, and every industry seems threatened with
competition from abroad. Do you understand the principles of Free Trade
at all?"

"Not in the least. I wish I did."

"Some day we must have a talk about it. Henslow has made a very daring
suggestion to-day. He has given us all plenty to think about. We are
all agreed upon one thing. The crisis is fast approaching, and it must
be faced. These people have the right to live, and they have the right
to demand that legislation should interfere on their behalf."

She sighed.

"It is a comfort to hear you talk like this," she said. "To me it seems
almost maddening to see so much suffering, so many people suffering, not
only physically, but being dragged down into a lower moral state by
sheer force of circumstances and their surroundings, and all the time we
educated people go on our way and live our lives, as though nothing were
happening--as though we had no responsibility whatever for the holocaust
of misery at our doors. So few people stop to think. They won't
understand. It is so easy to put things behind one."

"Come," he said, cheerfully, "you and I, at least, are not amongst
those. And there is a certain duty which we owe to ourselves, too, as
well as to others--to look upon the brighter side of things. Let us
talk about something less depressing."

"You shall tell me," she suggested, "who is going to win the election."

"Henslow!" he answered, promptly.

"Owing, I suppose--"

"To his agent, of course. You may laugh, Miss Scott, but I can assure
you that my duties are no sinecure. I never knew what work was before."

"Too much work," she said, "is better than too little. After all, more
people die of the latter than the former."

"Nature meant me," he said, "for a hazy man. I have all the
qualifications for a first-class idler. And circumstances and the
misfortune of my opinions are going to keep me going at express speed
all my life. I can see it coming. Sometimes it makes me shudder."

"You are too young," she remarked, "to shrink from work. I have no
symp