e'll win. It'll be the
work of my life, and we'll see if an honest purpose can't go as far as a
thievish one.'

The climax would have brought crashing cheers at Commonwealth Hall;
in Mr. Westlake's study it was received with well-bred expressions of
approval.

'Well, Mutimer,' exclaimed the idealist, 'all this is intensely
interesting, and right glorious for us. One sees at last a possibility
of action. I ask nothing better than to be allowed to work with you. It
happens very luckily that you are a practical engineer. I suppose
the mechanical details of the undertaking are entirely within your
province.'

'Not quite, at present,' Mutimer admitted, 'but I shall have valuable
help. Yesterday I had a meeting with a man named Rodman, a mining
engineer, who has been working on the estate. He seems just the man I
shall want; a Socialist already, and delighted to join in the plans I
just hinted to him.'

'Capital! Do you propose, then, that we shall call a special meeting of
the Committee? Or would you prefer to suggest a committee of your own?'

'No, I think our own committee will do very well, at all events for the
present. The first thing, of course, is to get the financial details
of our scheme put into shape. I go to Belwick again this afternoon; my
solicitor must get his business through as soon as possible.'

'You will reside for the most part at Wanley?'

'At the Manor, yes. It is occupied just now, but I suppose will soon be
free.'

'Do you know that part of the country, Stella?' Mr. Westlake asked of
his wife.

She roused herself, drawing in her breath, and uttered a short negative.

'As soon as I get into the house,' Richard resumed to Mr. Westlake,
'I hope you'll come and examine the place. It's unfortunate that the
railway misses it by about three miles, but Rodman tells me we can
easily run a private line to Agworth station. However, the first thing
is to get our committee at work on the scheme.' Richard repeated this
phrase with gusto. 'Perhaps you could bring it up at the Saturday
meeting?'

'You'll be in town on Saturday?'

'Yes; I have a lecture in Islington on Sunday.'

'Saturday will do, then. Is this confidential?'

'Not at all. We may as well get as much encouragement out of it as we
can. Don't you think so?'

'Certainly.'

Richard did not give expression to his thought that a paragraph on the
subject in the Union's weekly organ, the 'Fiery Cross,' might be the
best way of promoting