great
things, and Aaron, from his seat behind Maraton, watched his master all
the time with strained and passionate attention.

"In the first place," Peter Dale began, "we've no wish to commence this
meeting with any unpleasantness. At the same time, Mr. Maraton, we did
think that after that letter of ours you'd have seen your way clear to
come up to London and cut short that visit to Mr. Foley. We were all
there waiting for you, and there were some of us that didn't take it
altogether in what I might call a favourable spirit, that you chose to
keep away."

"To tell you the truth," Maraton replied calmly, "I did not see the
faintest reason why I should shorten my visit to Mr. Foley. We had
arranged to meet here to-day and that seemed to me to be quite
sufficient."

Peter Dale tugged at his beard for a moment.

"I am not wishful," he reiterated, "to commence a discussion which might
lead to disagreement between us. We'll drop the matter for the present.
Is that agreeable to everybody?"

There was a little murmur of assent. Graveling only was stolidly
silent. Peter Dale struck the table with his fist.

"Now then, lads," he said, "let's get on with it."

"This being mainly my show," John Henneford declared, "I'll come and sit
at your right hand, Mr. Maraton. You've got all the papers I've sent
you about the cotton workers?"

"I have looked them through," Maraton replied, "but most of their
contents were familiar to me. I made a study of the condition of all
your industries so far as I could, last year."

"Between you and me," Peter Dale grumbled, "this meeting ought to have
been held in Newcastle and not Manchester. These cotton chaps of yours,
Henneford, ain't doing so badly. It's my miners that want another leg
up."

Henneford struck the table with his fist.

"Rot!" he exclaimed. "Your miners have just had a turn. Half-a-crown a
week extra, and a minimum wage--what more do you want? And a piece of
plate and a nice fat cheque for Mr. Dale," he added, turning to the
others and winking.

Peter Dale beamed good-humouredly upon them.

"Well," he retorted, "I earned it. You fellows should organise in the
same way. It took me a good many years' hard work, I can tell you, to
bring my lot up to the scratch. Anyway, here we are, and Manchester
it's got to be this time. In an hour, Mr. Maraton, the secretary of
the Manchester Labour Party will be here. He's got two demand scales
made out for you to look through. Y