Half a Hero | Page 6

it myself," said Sir Robert
Perry.
"He may easily last long enough to half ruin my business. Large
concerns are delicate concerns."
"Come, Kilshaw, Puttock's a capitalist; he'll see Capital isn't wronged."
"Puttock is all very well in his way; but what do you say to Jewell and
Norburn?"
"Jewell's an old-style Radical: he won't do you much harm. You hit the
nail on the head when you mention Norburn. Norburn would be very
pleased to run your factory as a State work-shop for two pound a
week."
"And pickings," added Mr. Kilshaw, with scornful emphasis.
A third gentleman, who was sitting near in the large bow-window of
the Central Club, an elderly man, with short-clipped white hair and a
pleasant face, joined in the talk.
"Norburn? Why, is that the fellow I tried? Is he in Medland's
government?"
"That's the man, Sir John," answered Kilshaw; and Sir Robert added,
"You gave him three months for inciting to riot in the strike at the
Collieries two years ago. He's made Minister of Public Works; I hear

the Governor held out for a long while, but Medland insisted."
"And my works are to be Public Works, I suppose," grumbled Kilshaw,
finding some comfort in this epigrammatic statement of the unwelcome
prospect before him.
"Red-hot, isn't he?" asked Sir John Oakapple, who, as Chief Justice of
the colony, had sent the new Minister to gaol.
Kilshaw nodded.
"Will he and Puttock pull together?" continued the Chief Justice.
"The hopeful part of the situation is," said Sir Robert, "that Puttock is
almost bound to fall out with somebody, either with Norburn, for the
reason you name, or with Coxon, because Coxon will try to rule the
roast, or with Medland himself."
"Why should he quarrel with Medland?"
"Why does the heir quarrel with the king? Besides, there's the
Prohibition Question. I doubt if Medland will satisfy Puttock and his
people over that."
"Oh, I expect he will," said the Chief Justice. "I asked him once--this is
in confidence, you know--if he didn't think it a monstrous proposal, and
he only shrugged those slouched shoulders of his, and said, 'We've got
Sunday Closing, and we go in the back way: if we have Prohibition the
drink'll go in the back way--same principle, my dear Chief Justice'":
and that High Officer finished his anecdote with a laugh.
"The odd thing about Medland is," remarked Sir Robert, "that he's
utterly indifferent about everything except what he's utterly mad about.
He has no moderate sympathies or antipathies."
"Therefore he's a most dangerous man," said Kilshaw.
"Oh, I think he sympathises, in moderation, with morality," laughed Sir
John.

"Ay," rejoined Perry quickly, "and that's all. What if Puttock raised the
Righteous on him?"
"Oh, then I should stand by Medland," said the Chief Justice decisively.
"And young Coxon's to be Attorney-General. He's safe enough."
"A man who thinks only about himself is generally safe," remarked Sir
Robert dryly; and he added, with a smile, "That's why lawyers are such
a valuable class."
The Chief Justice laughed, and took his revenge by asking,
"How many windows did they break, Perry?"
"Only three," rejoined the Ex-Premier. "Considering the popular
enthusiasm I got off cheap."
"You can't stir a people's heart for nothing. All the same, the reception
they gave him was a fine sight."
"Extraordinary, wasn't it?"
"I call it most ominous," said Mr. Kilshaw, and he rose and went out
gloomily.
"I haven't had my invitation to meet them at Government House yet,"
said the Chief Justice.
He referred to the banquet which the Governor was accustomed to give
to a new Ministry, when the leading officials of the colony were always
included in the party.
Sir Robert looked round for possible eavesdroppers.
"There's a hitch," he said in a low voice. "Lady Eynesford makes
difficulties about having Medland."
"Oh, that's nonsense!"

"Utter nonsense; but it seems she does. However, I suppose you'll get
your card in a day or two."
"And renew my acquaintance with Mr. Norburn under happier
circumstances."
"Norburn will feel as one used to when one breakfasted with the
school-master--as a peacemaking after another sort of interview."
Sir Robert Perry proved right in supposing that Lady Eynesford's
resistance could not last for ever. It was long enough and fierce enough
to make the Governor very unhappy and the rest of the family very
uncomfortable, but it was foredoomed to failure. Even the Bishop of
Kirton, whom she consulted, told her that high place had its peculiar
duties, and that however deplorable the elevation of such a man might
be, if the Queen's representative invited him to join his counsels, the
Queen's representative's wife must invite him to join her dinner-party:
and the Bishop proved the sincerity of his constitutional doctrine by
accepting an invitation to meet the new