his heart that he might just as well make a law forbidding the wind
to blow from the east. Instead of taking any notice of my question he
pulled out his watch and looked at it.

"Nine o'clock," he said. "I must be off to the House at once. An
important division has been arranged for a quarter past. Just ask your
man to call a taxi, will you?"

"Why go?" I said. "If the division is arranged the result will be
arranged too."

"Of course it is," said Gorman. "You don't suppose the Whips leave that
to chance."

"I must say you manage these things very badly. Here you are smoking
comfortably after dinner, not in the least inclined to stir, and yet you
say you have to go. Why don't you introduce a system of writing cheques?
'Pay the Whip of my Party or bearer 150 votes. Signed Michael Gorman, M.
P.'"

"That's rather a good idea," said Gorman. "It would save a lot of
trouble."

"The cheque could be passed in to some sort of clearing house where
a competent clerk, after going over all the cheques, would strike a
balance and place it to the credit of your side or the other. That would
be the Government's Majority, and you wouldn't have to go near the House
of Commons at all except when you wanted to make a speech. I don't think
you need go even then. You might make your speeches quietly in your own
home to a couple of reporters."

"It would simplify parliamentary life enormously," said Gorman, "there's
no doubt of that. But I don't think it would do. I don't really. The
people wouldn't stand it."

"If the people stand the way you go on at present they'll stand
anything."

"I wish," said Gorman, "that you'd ring for a taxi." I rang the bell
and five minutes later Gorman left me. He had not told me anything about
Home Rule, or how his party meant to deal with a recalcitrant Ulster. He
seemed very little interested in Ulster. Yet Malcolmson was indubitably
in earnest. I felt perfectly sure about that.

CHAPTER XI.

I intended to call on the Aschers as soon as I could after I returned to
London. I owed Ascher some thanks for his kindness in providing me with
letters of introduction for my tour. However, they heard that I was home
again before I managed to pay my visit. I daresay Gorman told them. He
sees Mrs. Ascher two or three times a week and he must get tired talking
about Ireland. A little item of gossip, like the news of my return,
would come as a relief to Gorman, and perhaps even to Mrs. Ascher, after
a