ect," Maraton added, "is to benefit through our loss of
trade?"

"Entirely," Mr. Beldeman assented, without a quiver upon his face.

Maraton was silent for a moment.

"I do not see my way absolutely clear," he announced, "to recommending a
railway strike at the present moment. If I acceded to all the others,
what would your position be? The railway strike is of little
consequence to a foreign nation. The coal strike, and the iron and
steel works of Sheffield and Leeds closed--that's where English trade
would suffer most, especially if the cotton people came out."

Mr. Beldeman shook his head slowly. "My conditions," he said, "embrace
the railways."

"Somehow, I fancied that they would," Maraton remarked. "Tell me why?"

Beldeman rose slowly to his feet.

"Are you an Englishman?" he asked.

"I can't deny it," Maraton replied. "I was born abroad. Why are you so
interested in my nationality?"

Beldeman shrugged his shoulders.

"I cannot tell you. Just an idea. I do not wish to say too much. I
wish you only to consider what a million pounds will do to help your
work people. You, they say, are one of those who love the people as
your own children. A million pounds may enable them to hold out until
they can secure practically what terms they like. Those million pounds
are yours to-day, yours for the people, if you pledge your word to a
universal strike."

"Including the railways?"

"Including the railways," Mr. Beldeman assented.

Maraton smiled quietly.

"I do not ask you," he said, "what country you represent. I think that
it is not necessary. You have come to me rather as though I were a
dictator. There are others besides myself with whom influence rests."

"It is you only who count," Mr. Beldeman declared. "I am thankful that
at any rate you have met my offer in a reasonable spirit. Accept it,
Mr. Maraton. What concern have you for other things save only for the
welfare of the people?"

"I have considered this matter," Maraton remarked, "many, many times. A
universal strike, absolutely universal so far as regards transport and
coal, would place the country in a paralytic and helpless condition.
Still, so many people have assured us that an onslaught from any foreign
country is never seriously to be considered, that I have come to believe
it myself. What is your opinion?"

Mr. Beldeman remained silent for a few moments.

"One cannot tell," he said. "The stock of coal available for your home
fleet ha