at one end in a padded chair; Mr. Manning,
the division superintendent, startled out of a meditation, was upright on
the end of the bed; Mr. Ridout, the Northeastern's capital lawyer, was
figuring at the other end of the table; the Honourable Brush Bascom was
bending over a wide, sad-faced gentleman of some two hundred and fifty
pounds who sat at the centre in his shirt-sleeves, poring over numerous
sheets in front of him which were covered with names of the five hundred.
This gentleman was the Honourable Edward Doby of Hale, who, with the kind
assistance of the other gentlemen above-named, was in this secluded spot
making up a list of his committees, undisturbed by eager country members.
At Mr. Crewe's entrance Mr. Bascom, with great presence of mind, laid
down his hat over the principal list, while Mr. Ridout, taking the hint,
put the Revised Statutes on the other. There was a short silence; and the
Speaker-to-be, whose pencil had been knocked out of his hand; recovered
himself sufficiently to relight an extremely frayed cigar.

Not that Mr. Crewe was in the least abashed. He chose this opportunity to
make a survey of the situation, nodded to Mr. Ridout, and walked up to
the padded armchair.

"How are you, Mr. Vane?" he said. "I thought I'd drop in to shake hands
with you, especially as I have business with the Speaker, and heard he
was here. But I'm glad to have met you for many reasons. I want you to be
one of the vice-presidents of the State Economic League--it won't cost
you anything. Ridout has agreed to let his name go on."

The Honourable Hilary, not being an emotional man, merely grunted as he
started to rise to his feet. What he was about to say was interrupted by
a timid knock, and there followed another brief period of silence.

"It ain't anybody," said Mr. Bascom, and crossing the room, turned the
key in the lock. The timid knock was repeated.

"I suppose you're constantly interrupted here by unimportant people," Mr.
Crewe remarked.

"Well," said Mr. Vane, slowly, boring into Mr. Crewe with his eye, "that
statement isn't far out of the way."

"I don't believe you've ever met me, Mr. Vane. I'm Humphrey Crewe. We
have a good friend in common in Mr. Flint."

The Honourable Hilary's hand passed over Mr. Crewe's lightly.

"Glad to meet you, Mr. Crewe," he said, and a faint twinkle appeared in
his eye. "Job has told everybody you were coming down. Glad to welcome a
man of your ahem--stamp into politics