time or
another.

"Nice room, this," Mr. Henneford remarked approvingly. "Slap up, ain't
it? Your bedroom's next door, and your secretary's just round the
corner. Done you proud, I reckon. Like a royal suite, eh?"

He laughed good-humouredly. Mr. Preston removed his pipe and rang the
bell.

"One drink, I think," he suggested, "and we'll leave Mr. Maraton alone
for a bit. You and I'll go down to the station and meet the chaps from
London, and we'll have a meeting up here--say at five o'clock. That
suit you, Mr. Maraton?"

"Excellently," Maraton assented. "What shall I order?" he asked, as the
waiter entered.

Beer, whiskey and cigars were brought. Maraton asked a few eager
questions about the condition of one of the industries, and followed
Henneford to the door, talking rapidly.

"I know so little about the state of woman labour over here," he said.
"In America they are better paid in proportion. Perhaps, if Miss
Thurnbrein is here, she will be able to give me some information."

"You'll soon get posted up," Mr. Henneford declared. "I can see you've
got a quick way of dealing with things. So long till five o'clock,
then. There's a dozen chaps waiting down-stairs to see you. We'll
leave it to your judgment just what you want to say to the Press. Ring
the bell and have the waiter bring their cards up."

They departed and Maraton returned to his sitting-room. He stood for a
moment looking out over the city, the roar of which came to him clearly
enough through the open window. He forgot the depressing tawdriness of
his surroundings in the exhilaration of the sound. He was back again
amongst the people, back again where the wheels of life were crashing.
The people! He drew himself up and his eyes sought the furthest limits
of that dim yellow haze. Somehow, notwithstanding a vague uneasiness
which hung about him like an effort of wounded conscience, he had a
still greater buoyancy of thought when he considered his possibly
altered attitude towards the multitude who waited for his message. He
felt his feet upon the earth with more certainty, with more implicit
realism, than in those days when he had spoken to them of the future and
had perhaps forgotten to tell them how far away that future must be.
There was something more practical about his present attitude. What
would they say here in Manchester, expecting fire and thunder from his
lips and finding him hold out the olive branch? He shrugged his
shoulders;--a us