and bade his driver take him to the other house, that which he had
originally chosen. A downright piece of superstition, he said to
himself, with a nervous laugh. He could not remember to have ever
behaved so capriciously.

The hotel pleased him. After inspecting his bedroom, he came down again
to smoke and glance over the newspapers; it was about half-past nine.
Half a dozen men were in the smoking-room; by ten o'clock there
remained, exclusive of Piers, only three, of whom two were discussing
politics by the fireside, whilst the third sat apart from them in a
deep chair, reading a book. The political talk began to interest Otway;
he listened, behind his newspaper. The louder of the disputants was a
man of about fifty, dressed like a prosperous merchant; his cheeks were
flabby, his chin triple or quadruple, his short neck, always very red,
grew crimson as he excited himself. He was talking about the
development of markets for British wares, and kept repeating the phrase
"trade outlets," as if it had a flavour which he enjoyed. England, he
declared, was falling behind in the competition for the world's trade.

"It won't do. Mark my word, if we don't show more spirit, we shall be
finding ourselves in Queer Street. Look at China, now! I call it a
monstrous thing, perfectly monstrous, the way we're neglecting China."

"My dear sir," said the other, a thin, bilious man, with an undecided
manner, "we can't force our goods on a country----"

"What! Why, that's exactly what we _can_ do, and ought to do! What we
always _have_ done, and always _must_ do, if we're going to hold our
own," vociferated he of the crimson neck. "I was speaking of China, if
you hadn't interrupted me. What are the Russians doing? Why, making a
railway straight to China! And we look on, as if it didn't matter, when
the matter is national life or death. Let me give you some figures. I
know what I'm talking about. Are you aware that our trade with China
amounts to only half a crown a head of the Chinese population? Half a
crown! While with little Japan, our trade comes to something like
eighteen shillings a head. Let me tell you that the equivalent of that
in China would represent about three hundred and sixty millions per
annum!"

He rolled out the figures with gusto culminating in rage. His eyes
glared; he snorted defiance, turning from his companion to the two
strangers whom he saw seated before him.

"I say that it's our duty to force our trade