Tales of the Long BowChesterton, G. K. (Gilbert Keith)
General
Tales of the Long Bow
Chesterton, G. K. (Gilbert Keith)
English fiction -- 20th century; Short stories, English
“I suppose,” replied Eden lightly, “it will have to be ‘Don’t
Rationalize but Nationalize.’ It comes to the same thing. Besides,
we can easily get a new motto of some sort. For instance, we, after
all, are the patriotic party, the national party. What about ‘Let the
Nationalists Nationalize’?”
“Well, all I can say is--” began Normantowers explosively.
“Compensation, there will be compensation, of course,” said the Prime
Minister soothingly; “a great deal can be done with compensation. If
you will all turn up here this day week, say at four o’clock, I think I
can lay all the plans before you.”
When they did turn up next week and were shown again into the Prime
Minister’s sunny garden, they found that the plans were, indeed, laid
before them; for the table that stood on the sunny lawn was covered
with large and small maps and a mass of official documents. Mr. Eustace
Pym, one of the Prime Minister’s numerous private secretaries, was
hovering over them, and the Prime Minister himself was sitting at the
head of the table studying one of them with an intelligent frown.
“I thought you’d like to hear the terms of the arrangements,” he said.
“I’m afraid we must all make sacrifices in the cause of progress.”
“Oh, progress be----” cried Normantowers, losing patience. “I want to
know if you really mean that my estate----”
“It comes under the department of Castle and Abbey Estates in Section
Four,” said Lord Eden, referring to the paper before him. “By the
provisions of the new Bill the public control in such cases will be
vested in the Lord-Lieutenant of the County. In the particular case of
your castle--let me see--why, yes, of course, you are Lord-Lieutenant
of that county.”
Little Lord Normantowers was staring, with his stiff hair all standing
on end; but a new look was dawning in his shrewd though small-featured
face.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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