“Never mind whether you ast for it or not. My view of the whole matter is that he’s the only clever man amongst you. He’s got you all on a bit o’ string. He goes away, as you mentioned, for a week or ten days together, and never thinks of communicatin’ with you; he gets his name in the papers; for all you know he may be playin’ a double game—” The conductor came up for fares, and the argumentative man fortified his position by paying for both. “A double game. No, no! let me finish! And all the time laughing in his sleeve at the lot of you. I’ve known that sort before. I’ve met ’em. I’ve come across ’em. I say no more,” he added mysteriously, and sat back, glaring at the sky. “Well, but—” The member seemed ill-qualified for debate, and Erb was greatly tempted to prompt him. “What I mean is— What I was about to say was—” “He’s a having you,” said the other, smiling thoughtfully at the sky, “he’s a having you on toast!” “But what’s it to do with you?” demanded the other, not finding the argument for which he had searched. “Nothing!” retorted the other. The member, taken aback by this unexpected reply, could not speak for a few moments. He looked appealingly at the names on the shops by which they were passing for a suggestion, and appeared to find one in the word Goodenough. “After all,” he began, “for our purpose—” “Don’t forget this!” interrupted the other. “Don’t let _this_ fact slip out of your memory. It was you began this argument. I never seeked for it. We was having a glass in the Old Kent Road, and you, or one of the others, began by saying that Erb was growing a great deal too big for his boots.” “_I_ never said it,” growled the other sulkily. “Did someone pass a remark to that effect, or did someone not pass a remark to that effect? Am I speaking the truth, or am I a bloomin’ liar?” “It’s one or the other,” said the member cautiously. “That won’t do for me,” said the non-member, now in the sheer enjoyment of cross-examination. “I ast you a straightforward question, and if you can’t give me a straightforward answer, why, I must draw me own conclusions. That’s all.” And smiled again mysteriously at the sky. “Well,” replied the other, goaded, “I don’t mind going so far as this. Certain things _have_ been said of late at certain depots that I needn’t name, and it’s all going to be brought up at the meeting to-night. Mind you, it mustn’t go any further.” The other man gave a nod intended to signify that he had guessed all this. “And being meself on Erb’s side, and not wanting to be mixed up in anything like a shindy, why, I’m giving it a miss, and I’m off down to meet the wife’s brother at his club in Peckham and spend a nice, quiet, sociable evening. See?” “And you,” remarked the other thoughtfully, “you call yourself a man? Well, well, well!” with a sigh, “the longer we live the older we get.” “What are you snacking at me about now?” demanded the member heatedly.