"Oh, nonsense," said Mr. Bailey briskly, "a man must do what he can; you can't get your seat again by main force. You can't get the other things you want right off the shelf by helping yourself. You must go on pressing and pressing. It's the only way--it's the one way in which anything gets done. Besides which, it's enough to make any man----" "You're right there," said Mr. Clutterbuck eagerly; "it's enough to make any man take action. What will you do, Mr. Bailey?" Mr. Bailey, when he had to form a rapid plan, gave a sort of false impression of rapidity and strength which had deceived many. He mapped out all the dates. "You know the Directors are going for libel against the _Courier_?" he said. Mr. Clutterbuck didn't know it. "Well, but they are. To-day's Wednesday, and it will be before the courts to-day week, next Wednesday," he said. "Once it's before the courts you'll go to choke if you speak about it; so will any other Johnny except in Parliament; besides which, Parliament meets the same day, and what's more, I'm not at all sure they'd allow it even in Questions, and there won't be any Questions until Wednesday, and by that time, as I say, unless we get steam up outside it'll be out of order. Monday's no good, you can't get people on Monday. It'll take a day to get the posters up, and the advertisements and to dry them. We'll say Saturday--Saturday at eight, in the Jubilee Hall." "What for?" said his slower minded companion. "For the meeting of course," said Mr. Bailey in surprise; "for the great meeting of protest by the ex-Member from Mickleton, on the Anapootra Ruby Mines!" For all Mr. Clutterbuck's determination he was somewhat appalled. "I'm not at all sure that I should speak, well I--I don't know even what or who ..." he began slowly. "Oh that's all right," cut in William Bailey eager for the fray. "I'll write your speech out, and I'll introduce you on the platform. It's the _name_ we want, and your power in the constituency. They know _that_. The papers won't dare boycott it, and you'll get the horny-handed in thousands. We'll have a grand time!" He said it with the irresponsibility of a boy, but that mood is dangerous in a man. So was it decided that on the next Saturday, before Parliament opened, and before the matter was, to be classical, _sub-judice_, a great meeting should be held and the ball set rolling by Mr. Clutterbuck, Champion of the People; but the Champion was torn between fear and desire. Mr. Clutterbuck when he reached the Plâs, was careful to keep the meeting even from his wife. He told it to none but Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald was sympathetic and it felt like old times. Meanwhile, in London, Mr. Bailey had hired the Jubilee Hall, and, if it were necessary for overflow, the Coronation Annex.