n--"

I was beginning to dislike being called a man of moderation nearly as
much as I disliked being called a Liberal.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked.

"The situation--the very difficult and distressing situation is this,"
said Clithering, "stated roughly it is this. The Government has
proclaimed to-morrow's meeting."

"That," I said, "is the pit into which--I don't want to be
offensive--I'll say, your ox has fallen."

"And the town is full of troops and police. Any attempt to hold the
meeting can only result in bloodshed, deplorable bloodshed, the lives
of men and women, innocent women sacrificed."

"The strength of Babberly's position," I said, "is that he doesn't
think bloodshed deplorable."

"But he does. He told me so in London. He repeated the same thing this
morning."

"I don't mean Babberly personally," I said, "I mean his party;
Malcolmson, you know, and our Dean. If you'd only gone to hear the
Dean preach this morning you'd know what he thinks about blood. I've
often heard him say that the last drop of it--mind that now, Sir
Samuel--the last drop ought to be shed. That's going as far as any one
very well could, isn't it?"

"But he must," said Clithering, "he must think bloodshed deplorable."

"No, he doesn't," I said. "You mustn't think everybody is like your
Government. It's humanitarian. We're not. We're business men."

Clithering caught at the last phrase. It appealed to him. He did not
know the meaning attached to it by Cahoon.

"That's just it," he said. "We want to appeal to you as business men.
We want to suggest a reasonable compromise."

"I'm afraid," I said, "that you've come to the wrong place. I'm not
the least averse to compromises myself, in fact I love them. But the
Belfast business man--You don't quite understand him, I'm afraid, Sir
Samuel. Have you heard him singing his hymn?"

"No. What hymn? But leaving the question of hymns aside for the
moment--"

"You can't do that," I said, "the hymn is the central fact in the
situation."

Clithering thought this over and evidently failed to understand it.

"What I am empowered to suggest," he said, "is a compromise so very
favourable to the Ulster claims that I can hardly imagine your
rejecting it. The Government will allow the meeting to be held this
day week if your committee will agree to the postponement."

"If," I said, "you will also withdraw your Home Rule Bill--"

"But we can't," said Clithering. "We can't do tha