he graces of the
orator, should fall short in the one indefinable attribute which makes a
man the natural leader of men?

"People admire him, but they won't follow him," Stephen thought in
perplexity. "Vetch has something that Benham lacks; and it is this
something that makes people believe in him in spite of themselves."

This idea was in his mind when he met Benham one day on the steps of his
club, and stopped to congratulate him on the great speech he had made
the evening before.

"By Jove, it makes me want to throw my hat into the ring!" he exclaimed,
half in jest, half in earnest.

"I wish you would," replied the other gravely. "We need young men. It is
youth that turns the world."

Never, Stephen thought, had Benham, appeared more impressive, more
perfectly finished and turned out; never had he appeared so near to his
tailor and so far from his audience. He was a handsome man in his rather
colourless fashion, a man who would look any part with distinction from
policeman to President. His sleek iron-gray hair had as usual the rich
sheen of velvet; his thin, sharp profile was like the face on a Roman
coin. A man of power, of intellect, of character; and yet a man who had
missed, in some inexplicable way, greatness, achievement. On the whole
Stephen was glad that Corinna had announced her engagement. She and
Benham seemed so perfectly suited to each other--and, of course, there
was nothing in that old story about Alice Rokeby. A friendship, nothing
more! Only the other day Benham had spoken casually of his "friendship"
for Mrs. Rokeby; he always called her "Mrs. Rokeby"; and Stephen had
accepted the phrase as a satisfactory explanation of their past
association.

"I'd like to go into some public work," said the young man. "To tell the
truth I can't settle down."

"I know," Benham responded sympathetically. "I went through it all
myself; but there is nothing like throwing oneself into some outside
work. I wish you would come into this fight. If we can avert this strike
it will be worth any sacrifice."

That Benham was making tremendous personal sacrifices, Stephen knew, and
the young man's voice was tinged with emotion as he answered, "I'm
afraid I'm not much of a speaker."

"Oh, you would be, if you would only let yourself go." There it was
again! Even Benham recognized his weakness; even Benham knew that he was
afraid of life.

"Besides we need men of every type," Benham was saying smoothly. "We
need e