W. Pett Ridge

“ He looked at the lights that starred the borders of the wide river, saw the Terrace where a member of Parliament walked up and down, following the red glow of a cigar, and he knew that if he were ever to get there it would only be by leaping successfully over many obstacles similar to the one which at present confronted him; to allow himself to be distracted from the straight road of progress would be to court disaster. ”

“ It gave Erb a sensation of power to find that not one of these uniformed men in their brass-bound caps was strong-minded enough or sufficiently clear of intellect to carry out any big scheme by himself; they could only keep of one mind by shoring each other up, and he felt that he himself was the one steady, upright person who prevented them all from slipping. ”

“ If the men went weak at the knees at the last moment it would be deplorable, but it would be an incident for which he could not blame himself; if he himself were to make some blunder in the conduct of the negotiations, it would be fatal to his career, and all other secretaries of all other organisations would whisper about it complacently.
“Anxious times, my girl,” said Erb to Louisa. “Anxious times. We'll have a tram-ride down to Greenwich and back, and blow dull care away.”
“I've just finished,” said Louisa in a whisper. “I'll pop on me hat, Erb, and be with you in 'alf a moment.” ”

“ Besides, why don't you give up thinking for a bit? You're always at it. I wonder your brain—or whatever you like to call it—stands the tax you put on it.”
“You'd be a rare old nagger,” said Erb, hooking the tarpaulin covering carefully and affectionately around his sister, “if ever anybody had the misfortune to marry you. It'd be jor, jor, jor, from morning, noon, till night.”
“And if ever you was silly enough to get engaged, Erb—— That's Deptford Station down there,” said Louisa, as the tram stopped for a moment's rest. “I used to know a boy who's ticket collector now. ”

“ Why should not Erb simply stand aside, and let the men alone seek consultation with the Directors? Erb declared that he would do this like one o'clock (intimating thus prompt and definite action) , providing there was good likelihood of the men's requests being complied with. Director, looking at silent friend, and trying to catch that gentleman's lack-lustre eye, inquired how on earth he could pledge his colleagues. ”

“ She unhooked the tarpaulin cover at once, and, despite Erb's protestation that they had paid fares to the Bermondsey's New Road, hurried him down the steps. To Louisa's great delight, the tram, with its absorbedly interested passengers, did not move until the two had reached the open landau, and Lady Frances's neatly-gloved hand had offered itself in the most friendly way. Louisa declared later that she would have given all that she had in the Post Office Savings Bank to have heard the comments of the passengers.
“This,” said Lady Frances pleasantly, “is the long arm of coincidence. ”

“ Erb, now interested in the game, suggested that Lady Frances's uncle probably had some idea of the feelings entertained by his fellow-directors, and the host, giving up all efforts to get help from his silent friend, admitted that there was something in this. Pressed by Erb to speak as man to man, Director gave the limits of concession that had been decided upon—limits which would not, however, come within sight unless the men came alone, and quite alone, to plead their cause. ”

“ A plain man, remarked Lady Frances's uncle of himself (which, in one respect at any rate, was a statement bearing the indelible stamp of truth) , always of opinion that it was well to plunge in medias res. On Erb replying that at present he had no remark to offer, the purple-faced Director seemed taken aback, and diverted the conversation for a time to Trichinopolies and how best to keep them, a subject on which Erb was unable to speak with any pretence of authority.
“Little whiskey?” suggested the Director, with his thumb on the electric bell, “just to keep one alive.” ”

“ The Directors had remained adamant on the question of receiving Erb as spokesman, and the men, not having an orator of equal power in their ranks, and fearful of being worsted in a private interview, had insisted either that Erb should accompany the deputation or that there should be no deputation at all, but only a strike on the following Monday morning. ”

“ Men in evening dress, with the self-confidence that comes after an adequate meal, were telling each other what they would do were they Prime Minister, and Erb was surprised to hear the drastic measures proposed for stamping out opposition ”