o longer on the field of battle, but by their chosen
delegates, as in the vision of our greatest poet, in the 'Parliament of
Man, the Federation of the World.'"

WITH this peroration Remenham resumed his seat. He had spoken, as
indeed was his habit, rather as if he were addressing a public meeting
than a company of friends. But at least he had set the ball rolling.
To many of those present, as I well knew, his speech and his manner
must have been eminently provocative; and naturally to none more than
to Mendoza. I had, therefore, no hesitation in signalling out the
Conservative chief to give us the opposite point of view. He responded
with deliberation, lifting from his chest his sinister Jewish face, and
slowly unfolding his long body, while a malicious smile played about
his mouth.

"One," he began, "who has not the privilege of immediate access to the
counsels of the Divine Being cannot but feel himself at a disadvantage
in following a man so favoured as my distinguished friend. The
disadvantage, however, is one to which I have had, perforce, to grow
accustomed during long years of parliamentary strife, I have resigned
myself to creeping where he soars, to guessing where he prophesies.
But there is compensation everywhere. And, perhaps, there are certain
points which may be revealed to babes and sucklings, while they are
concealed from beings more august. The worm, I suppose, must be aware
of excrescences and roughnesses of the soil which escape the more
comprehensive vision of the eagle; and to the worm, at least, these are
of more importance than mountain ranges and oceans which he will never
reach. It is from that humble point of view that I shall offer a few
remarks supplementary to, perhaps even critical of, the eloquent
apostrophe we have been permitted to enjoy.

"The key-note of my friend's address was liberty. There is no British
heart which does not beat higher at the sound of that word. But while
I listened to his impassioned plea, I could not help wondering why he
did not propose to dispense to us in even larger and more liberal
measure the supreme and precious gift of freedom. True, he has done
much to remove the barriers that separated nation from nation, and man
from man. But how much remains to be accomplished before we can be
truly said to have brought ourselves into line with Nature! Consider,
for example, the policeman! Has my friend ever reflected on all that
is implied in that so