countrymen? Is there any position of prominence today
in England that isn't filled by Irishmen? Think. Our Commander-in-Chief
is Irish: our Lord High Admiral is Irish: there are the defences of the
English in the hands of two Irishmen and yet you call them thieving and
rascally scoundrels."

Kingsnorth tried to speak; Angela raised her voice:

"Turn to your judges--the Lord Chief is an Irishman. Look at the House
of Commons. Our laws are passed or defeated by the Irish vote, and yet
so blindly ignorant and obstinate is our insular prejudice that we
refuse them the favours they do us--governing THEMSELVES as well as
England."

Kingsnorth looked at his daughter aghast. Treason in his own house! His
child speaking the two most hated of all words at his own dinner table
and in laudatory terms. He could scarcely believe it. He looked at her
a moment and then thundered:

"How dare you! How dare you!"

Angela smiled a little amusedly-tolerant smile as she looked frankly at
her father and answered:

"This is exactly the old-fashioned tone we English take to anything we
don't understand. And that is why other countries are leaving us in the
race. There is a nation living within a few hours' journey from our
doors, yet millions of English people are as ignorant of them as if
they lived in Senegambia." She paused, looked once more straight into
her father's eyes and said: "And you, father, seem to be as ignorant as
the worst of them!"

"Angela!" cried her sister in horror.

Nathaniel laughed good-naturedly, leaned across to Angela and said:

"I see our little sister has been reading the sensational magazines.
Yes?"

"I've done more than that," replied Angela. "In Nice a month ago were
two English members of Parliament who had taken the trouble to visit
the country they were supposed to assist in governing. They told me
that a condition of misery existed throughout the whole of Ireland that
was incredible under a civilised government."

"Radicals, eh?" snapped her father.

"No. Conservatives. One of them had once held the office of Chief
Secretary for Ireland and was Ireland's most bitter persecutor, until
he visited the country. When he saw the wretchedness of her people he
stopped his stringent methods and began casting about for some ways of
lessening the poor people's torment."

"The more shame to him to talk like that to a girl. And what's more you
had no right to listen to him. A Conservative indeed! A fine