tives
have always talked the loudest about the British bond, but when it
lately came to doing we're on record on the right side, and they're on
record on the wrong. But it must make the old man's ghost sick to see--"

"To see his court suit stolen," Advena finished for him. "As Disraeli
said--wasn't it Disraeli?" She heard, and hated the note of constraint
in her voice. "Am I reduced," she thought, indignantly, "to falsetto?"
and chose, since she must choose, the betrayal of silence.

"It did one good to hear the question discussed on the higher level,"
said Lorne. "You would think, to read the papers, that all its merits
could be put into dollars and cents."

"I've noticed some of them in terms of sentiment--affection for the
mother country--"

"Yes, that's lugged in. But it doesn't cover the moral aspect," Lorne
returned. "It's too easy and obvious, as well; it gives the enemy cause
to offend."

"Well, there's a tremendous moral aspect," Finlay said, "tremendous
moral potentialities hidden in the issue. England has more to lose than
she dreams."

"That's just where I felt, as a practical politician, a little restless
while you were preaching," said Lorne, laughing. "You seemed to think
the advantage of imperialism was all with England. You mustn't press
that view on us, you know. We shall get harder to bargain with. Besides,
from the point of your sermon, it's all the other way."

"Oh, I don't agree! The younger nations can work out their own salvation
unaided; but can England alone? Isn't she too heavily weighted?"

"Oh, materially, very likely! But morally, no," said Lorne, stoutly.
"There, if you like, she has accumulations that won't depreciate. Money
isn't the only capital the colonies offer investment for."

"I'm afraid I see it in the shadow of the degeneration of age and
poverty," said Finlay, smiling--"or age and wealth, if you prefer it."

"And we in the disadvantage of youth and easy success," Lorne retorted.
"We're all very well, but we're not the men our fathers were: we need a
lot of licking into shape. Look at that disgraceful business of ours in
the Ontario legislature the other day, and look at that fellow of
yours walking out of office at Westminster last session because of a
disastrous business connection which he was morally as clear of as
you or I! I tell you we've got to hang on to the things that make us
ashamed; and I guess we've got sense enough to know it. But this is my
corner. I