f us was sympathetic or responsive. Gorman
knows that he has never rendered any service to literature at all, that
he wrote novels because he wanted money in the days before a grateful
country paid him L400 a year for walking round the lobbies of the House
of Commons, that he tumbled into his play by accident and made money out
of it because a very charming lady was more charming than usual in the
part he wrote for her.

Gorman--this is one of the advantages of being an Irishman--has no
illusions about himself. I have none about my class. It is not cultured
and does not want to be.

When Ascher had smoked his half cigarette we left the dining saloon and
went to our special corner in the lounge. Ascher talked on till nearly
ten o'clock about art and drama and music as if they were the only
things of any interest or importance in the world. Then he went to
bed. Gorman and I agreed that art, drama, and music are of very little
importance and less interesting than anything else. Gorman's weekly
articles, quite the best things of their kind then being published, are
all about art, so he has a perfect right to express his opinion. What we
wanted to hear Ascher talk about was money.

"I've always wanted to know what high finance really is," I said.
"It seems a pity not to be able to find out now we've got a man who
understands it."

"I'll take him in hand to-morrow," said Gorman. "There's no use our
having him to dine with us and looking after him all the way cross if we
don't get anything out of him."

Gorman's words were cryptic. I wanted to get knowledge--the sort of
knowledge which would satisfy my curiosity--out of Ascher; chiefly
knowledge though I would not have refused a little inside information
about Canadian affairs. Gorman might very well want something more. He
might want a subscription to the funds of his party. I hoped he would
not get it; either out of Ascher or out of the man at Detroit of whom he
spoke. I am not a member of any political party but I hate that to which
Gorman belongs. If I were attached to a party and if Gorman's friends
joined it in a body, I should leave it at once. My opinion, so far as I
have any opinion, is that what Ireland wants is to be let alone. But if
the Irish Nationalist Party were to adopt a policy of deliberately doing
nothing and preventing other people from doing anything I should not
support it. I should then search about for something revolutionary and
try to insist on