m. It looked, they thought, as if he had assumed acceptance; and
was willing for Phillips to choose his own occasion. Meanwhile replies
to her articles reached Joan in weekly increasing numbers. There seemed
to be a wind arising, blowing towards Protection. Farm labourers,
especially, appeared to be enthusiastic for its coming. From their ill-
spelt, smeared epistles, one gathered that, after years of doubt and
hesitation, they had--however reluctantly--arrived at the conclusion that
without it there could be no hope for them. Factory workers, miners,
engineers--more fluent, less apologetic--wrote as strong supporters of
Phillips's scheme; but saw clearly how upon Protection its success
depended. Shopmen, clerks--only occasionally ungrammatical--felt sure
that Robert Phillips, the tried friend of the poor, would insist upon the
boon of Protection being no longer held back from the people. Wives and
mothers claimed it as their children's birthright. Similar views got
themselves at the same time, into the correspondence columns of
Carleton's other numerous papers. Evidently Democracy had been throbbing
with a passion for Protection hitherto unknown, even to itself.

"He means it kindly," laughed Phillips. "He is offering me an excuse to
surrender gracefully. We must have a public meeting or two after
Christmas, and clear the ground." They had got into the habit of
speaking in the plural.

Mrs. Phillips's conversion Joan found more difficult than she had
anticipated. She had persuaded Phillips to take a small house and let
her furnish it upon the hire system. Joan went with her to the widely
advertised "Emporium" in the City Road, meaning to advise her. But, in
the end, she gave it up out of sheer pity. Nor would her advice have
served much purpose, confronted by the "rich and varied choice" provided
for his patrons by Mr. Krebs, the "Furnisher for Connoisseurs."

"We've never had a home exactly," explained Mrs. Phillips, during their
journey in the tram. "It's always been lodgings, up to now. Nice
enough, some of them; but you know what I mean; everybody else's taste
but your own. I've always fancied a little house with one's own things
in it. You know, things that you can get fond of."

Oh, the things she was going to get fond of! The things that her poor,
round foolish eyes gloated upon the moment that she saw them! Joan tried
to enlist the shopman on her side, descending even to flirtation.
Un