e. He does not wish to address you.
I, however, with the chairman's permission, before you go to the vote
would like to say a few words."

Miller again arose to his feet.

"I submit, Mr. Chairman," he said arrogantly, "that when I had the
privilege of being elected last April, no honorary member was present or
allowed to speak."

Mr. Weavel rose to his feet.

"Gentlemen," he said, "you know what this meeting is. It is a meeting
of fifty-seven representatives of the various trades unions of the
country, to elect a single representative to take the chair whenever
meetings of this company shall be necessary. This gathering does not
exist as a society in any shape or form and we have therefore neither
rules nor usages. Mr. Dartrey and Mr. Tallente, although they are
honorary members, are, I am sure, welcome guests, and whatever either of
them wishes to say to us will, I am sure, be listened to. There is no
business. All that we have to do is to vote, to choose our leader for
the next twelve months. There are two names put forward--Saunderson and
Miller. It is my business only to count the votes you may record.
Presuming that no one else wishes to speak, I shall ask Mr. Dartrey to
say those few words."

Miller sat frowning and biting his nails. Dartrey moved to the farther
end of the room and looked down the long line of attentive faces.

"Weavel," he said, "and you, my friends, I am not here to say a word in
favour of either of the two candidates between whom you have to choose
to-day. I am here just because you are valued members of the great
party which before very long will be carrying upon its shoulders the
burden of this country's government, to tell you of one measure which
some of you know of already, which may help you to realise how important
your to-day's choice will be. You know quite as much about politics as
I do. You know very well that the present Government is doomed. But
for an unfortunate difference of opinion between two of our supporters
who are present to-day, there is not the slightest doubt that the
Government would lose their vote of confidence to-morrow, and that in
that case, if I still remained your chief, I should be asked to form a
Democratic Government, a task which, when the time comes, it is my
intention to pass on to one more skilled in Parliamentary routine. I
want to explain to you that we consider the representative you elect
to-day to be one of the most important personages in tha