g, and keep it for a certain number of years. There's a good deal
more need for that than for abstinence from strong liquor. If I could
have had my way I would have revived prize-fighting.'

His brother laughed with contemptuous impatience.

'You would doubtless like to see military conscription introduced into
England?' said Jasper.

'Of course I should! You talk of civilising; there's no such way of
civilising the masses of the people as by fixed military service. Before
mental training must come training of the body. Go about the Continent,
and see the effect of military service on loutish peasants and the
lowest classes of town population. Do you know why it isn't even more
successful? Because the damnable education movement interferes. If
Germany would shut up her schools and universities for the next quarter
of a century and go ahead like blazes with military training there'd be
a nation such as the world has never seen. After that, they might begin
a little book-teaching again--say an hour and a half a day for everyone
above nine years old. Do you suppose, Mr Milvain, that society is going
to be reformed by you people who write for money? Why, you are the very
first class that will be swept from the face of the earth as soon as the
reformation really begins!'

Alfred puffed at his cigarette. His thoughts were occupied with Mr
Fadge and The Study. He was considering whether he could aid in bringing
public contempt upon that literary organ and its editor. Milvain
listened to the elder man's diatribe with much amusement.

'You, now,' pursued John, 'what do you write about?'

'Nothing in particular. I make a salable page or two out of whatever
strikes my fancy.'

'Exactly! You don't even pretend that you've got anything to say. You
live by inducing people to give themselves mental indigestion--and
bodily, too, for that matter.'

'Do you know, Mr Yule, that you have suggested a capital idea to me? If
I were to take up your views, I think it isn't at all unlikely that
I might make a good thing of writing against writing. It should be my
literary specialty to rail against literature. The reading public should
pay me for telling them that they oughtn't to read. I must think it
over.'

'Carlyle has anticipated you,' threw in Alfred.

'Yes, but in an antiquated way. I would base my polemic on the newest
philosophy.'

He developed the idea facetiously, whilst John regarded him as he might
have watched a perfor