"I should like to know," he said, in his usual voice of studied
inoffensiveness, "whether Mr. Quarrier is disposed to support the
Female Suffrage movement?"
"If he is," growled Mr. Vawdrey, with sudden emphasis, "he mustn't
expect _my_ vote and interest. We've seen enough in Polterham lately
of the Female question."
"Let it wait! Let it wait!" came from the draper. "The man," he
glared at little Murgatroyd, "who divides his party on matters of
detail, beyond the range of practical politics, is an enemy of
popular progress. What _I_ should desire to know is, whether Mr.
Quarrier will go in heartily for Church Disestablishment? If not--
well, I for my humble self must Decline to consider him a Radical at
all."
"That, it seems to me," began the dentist, "is distinctly beyond"
----
But politic Mr. Wykes interrupted the discussion.
"I shall go at once," he said, "and try to see Mr. Quarrier. A
lecture to-morrow we must have, and I think he can be persuaded to
help us. If so, we shall have an opportunity of seeing what figure
he makes on the platform."
Mr. Vawdrey looked at his watch and hurried away without a word. The
draper and the dentist were each reminded of the calls of business.
In a minute or two the youth dozing over an illustrated paper had
the room to himself.
CHAPTER V
For a characteristic scene of English life one could not do better
than take Mr.
Pages:
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68