the people's neck again under
their pitiless yoke?"

"But the people are more powerful now," argued Joan. "If the farmer
demanded higher prices, they could demand higher wages."

"They would never overtake the farmer," he answered, with a laugh. "And
the last word would always be with him. I am out to get rid of the
landlords," he continued, "not to establish them as the permanent rulers
of the country, as they are in Germany. The people are more
powerful--just a little, because they are no longer dependent on the
land. They can say to the farmer, 'All right, my son, if that's your
figure, I'm going to the shop next door--to South America, to Canada, to
Russia.' It isn't a satisfactory solution. I want to see England happy
and healthy before I bother about the Argentine. It drives our men into
the slums when they might be living fine lives in God's fresh air. In
the case of war it might be disastrous. There, I agree with him. We
must be able to shut our door without fear of having to open it ourselves
to ask for bread. How would Protection accomplish that? Did he tell
you?"

"Don't eat me," laughed Joan. "I haven't been sent to you as a
missionary. I'm only a humble messenger. I suppose the argument is
that, good profits assured to him, the farmer would bustle up and produce
more."

"Can you see him bustling up?" he answered with a laugh; "organizing
himself into a body, and working the thing out from the point of view of
the public weal? I'll tell you what nine-tenths of him would do: grow
just as much or little as suited his own purposes; and then go to sleep.
And Protection would be his security against ever being awakened."

"I'm afraid you don't like him," Joan commented.

"He will be all right in his proper place," he answered: "as the servant
of the public: told what to do, and turned out of his job if he doesn't
do it. My scheme does depend upon Protection. You can tell him that.
But this time, it's going to be Protection for the people."

They were at the far end of the corridor; and the few others still
promenading were some distance away. She had not delivered the whole of
her message. She crossed to a seat, and he followed her. She spoke with
her face turned away from him.

"You have got to consider the cost of refusal," she said. "His offer
wasn't help or neutrality: it was help or opposition by every means in
his power. He left me in no kind of doubt as to that. He's not