"No doubt Dartrey would enlighten you, if you chose to go to him," was
the indifferent reply. "Within the course of the next few months we
shall launch our thunderbolt. You will know then what we claim for the
people."

"Hang the people!" Horlock exclaimed. "I've legislated for them myself
until I'm sick of it. They're never grateful."

"Perhaps you confine yourself too much to one class," Tallente observed
drily. "As a rule, the less intelligent the voter, the more easily he
is caught by flashy legislation."

"The operative pure and simple," Horlock announced, "has no political
outlook. He'll never see beyond his trades union. You'll never found a
great national party with his aid."

His companion smiled.

"Then we shall fail and you will continue to be Prime Minister."

Mrs. Van Fosdyke came back to them, on the arm of a foreign diplomat.
She leaned over to Horlock and whispered:

"Lethbridge has heard that you two are here together and he is on your
track. Better separate."

She passed on. The two men strolled away.

"Have you any personal feeling against me, Tallente?" Horlock asked.