"You are very convincing," she admitted. "Why have you not spoken so
plainly in the House?"

"The moment hasn't arrived," Tallente replied. "There will be a General
Election before many months have passed and that will be the end of the
present fools' paradise at St. Stephen's."

"And then?"

"We shan't abuse our power," he assured her. "What we aim at is a
National Party which will consider the interests of every class. That
is our reading of the term 'Democrat.' Our programme is not nearly so
revolutionary as you are probably led to believe, but we do mean to
smooth away, so far as we can from a practical point of view, the
inequalities of life. We want to sweep away the last remnants of
feudalism."

"Tell me why they were so anxious to gather you into the fold?" she
asked.

"I think for this reason," he explained. "Stephen Dartrey is a
brilliant writer, a great orator, and an inspired lawmaker. The whole
world recognises him as a statesman. It is his name and genius which
have made the Democratic Party possible. On the other hand, he is not
in the least a politician. He doesn't understand the game as it is
played in the House of Commons. He lives above those things. That is
why I suppose they wanted me. I have learnt the knack of apt debating
and I understand the tricks. Even if ever I become the titular head of
the party, Dartrey will remain the soul and spirit of it. If they were