thing.
Wonderful head Conroy has. I don't wonder he became a millionaire. He
has his men under perfect control. They may not look starchy when you
see them in the streets, but they'll do what they're told. I thought
you and Lord Moyne would be glad to know, so I dropped in to tell you.
I must be off now."

He got as far as the door and then turned.

"Marion and Lady Moyne got away all right," he said. "I saw them off."

Then he left us.

"That's good news as far as it goes," I said.

"I'm not sure," said Moyne. "I'm not at all sure. If there had been a
riot to-night, the ordinary sort of riot--but I don't know. It's very
hard to know what to hope for."

If there had been an ordinary riot that night, and if it had been
sternly and promptly suppressed, there would perhaps have been no
battle next day. If, on the other hand, Conroy and Bob and the others
could keep their men under control, if they could secure the peace of
the city for the night, then the fighting next day was likely to be
serious. As Moyne said, it was very hard to know what to hope for.

The waiter brought in our fish, and with it a message from Sir Samuel
Clithering. He wanted to see Moyne. I had had enough of Clithering for
one day, so I made no objection when Moyne flatly refused to see him.

I suppose a man cannot be a successful manufacturer of hosiery in the
English midlands without possessing the quality of persistence.
Clithering had it. He sent another message to say that his business
was very important. Moyne said that he and his business might go to
hell together. I hope the waiter translated this message into
parliamentary language. Clithering is a Nonconformist, and therefore a
man of tender conscience. I should not like him to be shocked.

The hotel cook was doing his best for us. He sent us up an _entree_.
With it came a note from Clithering.

"I'm sending a telegram to the Prime Minister describing the condition
of affairs here. May I say that you have refused to preside at the
meeting to-morrow?"

Moyne showed me the note. Then he scribbled an answer on the back of
it.

"You may tell the Prime Minister that if a meeting is held I shall
preside. The announcements made in the papers and posters stand good."

"Do you think that's wise?" I asked.

"I think it's right," said Moyne.

It is a great pity that right things very seldom are wise. I have
hardly ever met anything which could possibly be called prudent which
was no