All Roads Lead to Calvary

he paused, conscious that someone had entered the room and, turning, she saw Hilda. She must have left the doo

d not yet taken off her things. The child must have been keeping a close

e, and laid it down upon the desk. Unco

her. "I'm glad you pe

o her face. She had forgo

him to do what he had made up his mind t

st of them were against it. And then the

," asked Joan. "D

so great. He could be the Prime Minister of England if he chose. But then he would have to visit kings and nob

ay: what she would have said to any ordinary child. But to say it

I persuaded hi

wered the chi

lf, and drew the

nable to share their greatness. There was Shakespeare, you know, who married Anne Hathaway and had a clever daughter. She was just a nice, hom

ma would have wanted to come; and Papa would have let her, and would

y been others; men who had climbed up and carried their imposs

wered somewhat lamely. "She

pa won't tell her. He says it would only hurt her and do no good." Th

agic. Joan felt the need of es

wife of a great man and do the best she can. And if they don't like her they've got to put up with her. I shall talk to the both of them." A wave of motherliness towards the entire Phillips famil

e so beautiful and wonderful," she said. "

hand at once. At all events she should be wholesome and unobtrusive. It would be a delicate mission, but

ent," said the child. "I ought to have gone this

added, fixing on Joan

She looked pretty when she smiled. She

he himself would take. Of course he would be on P---'s side. The Evening Gazette had always supported the "gas and water school" of socialism; and to include the people

e quite a picture. It was home-like and restful with its faded colouring, and absence of all show and overcrowding. They sat there after dinner and discussed Joan's news. Miss Greyson wa

iff Reform," he said. "If he prove pliable, and is willing

with it?" demanded Joan w

e answered, "and is in treaty for a third: together with a dozen others scattered about the provinces. Most

a fight between them," said Joan.

"He's the man to do it, if anybody co

t," said Joan,

ered with a smile. "Phillips speaks occasionally to five thousand pe

s speak, he speaks to the w

nd just so far as they allow his influence to p

peeches. They are boun

pplause, during which wildly excited men and women leapt upon the benches and roared themselves hoarse, and which he felt had settled the whole question, he searches for in vain. A few silly interjections, probably pre-arranged by Carleton's young lions, become 'renewed interruptions.' The report is strictly truthful; but the impression produced is that Robert P

with a laugh. "There are still a few old-fashion

s. There is no reason why in another ten years he should not control the ent

then, the working classes had escaped him. With the Sunday Post, he has solved the problem. Th

ect?" she said. "He must have more money than he can spend; and he

xistence of galley slaves, ruining their digestions so that they never can enjoy a square meal. It isn't the money; it's the trouble of their lives how to get rid of that. It is the notoriety, the power that they are

ectable ambition,

inished knocking it about. We are all born with it, thanks to the devil." He shifted his position and regarded her with critical

tical housekeeper, she would welcome attention being given to the question of the nation's food. The Evening Gaze

asked her. "You've been seeing

re; and he means business. He won't stop at the bott

't he?" he asked again. "I'

"You feel that he belongs to no class, but his own.

ch with us. I doubt if we should accept even an Abraham Lincoln: unless

e of Downing Street," Joan admitted.

"It's the dinner-table that rules in Englan

air. She never cared to loll, and the shaded light from

you ought to be," he said, "the wife of a Prime Ministe

see if we can't get you off on som

ve my station," laughed

personality. You would do more good in a drawing-room, influencing the rulers, than you w

ously interesting." He was leaning forward with clasped hands. "Why shouldn't she?" he said. "The reason that our drawing-rooms have ceased to

haps I shall some

ld night; and they walked round the Circle to Gloucester Gate.

s taken such a liking to you. If you care to meet

. She always felt curiously

his neighbourhood with its early Victorian atmosphere," she sa

's a character about them. You don't ofte

inded her, when they parted. "I sha

she was entering the office. "I want to see you,

can be done and must. If a war were to be sprung upon us we could be starved out in a month. Our navy, in face of these new submarines, is no longer able to secure us. France is working day and n

en," she

ning there on Friday night, weren't y

mining her in this way? She was not at all

n is quite corre

f in her tone; and he sh

A mutual friend, a Mr. Airlie, happened t

d grow more and more food until it eventually becomes self-supporting; and that the Government should control the distribution. Tell him that with that I'm heart and soul in sympathy; and would like t

can't?" sug

ng to arouse. Without a good Press he is helpless; and where is he going to get his Press backing if he turns me down? From half a dozen Socialist papers whose support will do him more harm than

be dearer; the Unions can square that by putting up wages; while the poor devil of a farm labour

. "It's one of the few subjects

upon it, when you come to work them out," he said. "Y

had r

I don't see him exchanging his principles ev

k a step forward, which brought his face quite close to hers: "If he fails, and all his

wished to see him; and he sent up answer asking her if she would come to the gallery that e

m; and there was youth also in his clear, ringing voice that not even the vault-like atmosphere of that shadowless chamber could altogether rob of its vitality. He spoke simply and good-humouredly,

a little old lady behind her comment to a fri

d talked, too absorbed to be aware of the curious eyes tha

ou," he said. "If he'd sent it through

even worth consideri

ence a week to die on, and the men starved in the towns; while the farmers kept their hunters, and got drunk each night on fine old crusted port. Do you know what their toast was in the big hotels on market day, with the win

rgued Joan. "If the farmer demanded highe

they are no longer dependent on the land. They can say to the farmer, 'All right, my son, if that's your figure, I'm going to the shop next door-to South America, to Canada, to Russia.' It isn't a satisfactory solution. I want to see England happy and healthy before I bother about the Argentine. It dr

ary. I'm only a humble messenger. I suppose the argument is that, good

rom the point of view of the public weal? I'll tell you what nine-tenths of him would do: grow just as much or little

don't like him,"

d what to do, and turned out of his job if he doesn't do it. My scheme does depend upon Pro

ere some distance away. She had not delivered the whole of her message. She cros

that. He's not used to being challenged and he won't be squeamish. You will have the whole of his Press against you, and every other journalistic and political influence that he possesse

m, but she would not. It seemed to

ll rather enjoy doing it. And it's time that somebody di

m then. She wondered why sh

"the possibility of all you

afar and it's a good land, a land where no man shall go hungry. If not

s little, including themselves and their own work. After all, was it exaggeration? Might he not

me?" he asked. "I hav

treated my embassy with contempt." She turned to him and their

ething leapt into his eyes that seemed to claim her. Perhaps it was we

arliament may as well close down if a few men between them are to be allowed to own the entire Press of the country, and stifle every v

Protection. Farm labourers, especially, appeared to be enthusiastic for its coming. From their ill-spelt, smeared epistles, one gathered that, after years of doubt and hesitation, they had-however reluctantly-arrived at the conclusion that without it there could be no hope for them. Factory workers, miners, engineers-more fluent, less apologetic-wrote as strong supporters of Phillips's scheme; but saw clearly how upon Protection its success depended. Shopmen,

render gracefully. We must have a public meeting or two after Christmas, an

hire system. Joan went with her to the widely advertised "Emporium" in the City Road, meaning to advise her. But, in the end, she gave it up out of sheer pity.

n lodgings, up to now. Nice enough, some of them; but you know what I mean; everybody else's taste but your o

a young man with a high sense of duty, convinced that his employer's interests lay in his support of Mrs. Phillips. The sight of the furniture that, between them, they selected for the dining-room gave Joan a quite distinct interna

r cheerful colours," e

tage; directed Mrs. Phillips's attention to some

" she admitted. "Perhaps I am a

rder. Joan moved towards the door, and accidentally caught sight of Mrs. Phillips'

r hand through

" she said, fixing a critical eye upon the r

of witnessing the childish delight that came again into the

shown a spark of fight, Joan could have been firm. Poor feckless

on that recherché drawing-room suite? Hilda, who would have had no sentimental compunctions! The woman would be sure to tell them both that she, Joan, had accompanied her and he

posters that had captured Mrs. Phillips: those dazzling apartments where bejewelled society reposed upon the "high-class b

ession that he had now accomplished it. Even as Mrs. Phillips took up the pen to sign, the wild idea occurred to Joan of snatching the paper away from her, hustling her into a cab, and in some quiet street or square making

ld summon up the needful brutality. If only on

lutterings and blots. Joan a

by common consent to be one of the best-dressed women in London-was bound to show up Madame Phillips to equal advantage. By curious coincidence a costume for the Baroness had been put in hand only the day before. It was sent for and pinned upon the delighted Madame Phillips. Perfection! As the Baroness

d the paint put up a

anelled room that they were soon to say good-bye to. The new house would be ready at Christmas. "It will be a little hard at first," continued

mically frightened face, with rou

u want me to d

She moved across and seating herself on the arm of Mrs. Phillips's chair, touched lightly with her hand the flaxen hair and the roug

Joan felt the tears tric

," came at last in a

issed her. "Let's tr

woman rose and, Joan following, they stole upstair

use (if only he had been a quiet mouse!) into the bathroom and had waited while it drowned. It was f

wind had suddenly blown out. The paint and powder had been obvious, but at least it had give

he explained; "and he has always seen me the

? Could one be sure of "getting used to it," of "liking it better?" And the poor bewildered doll its

friends who would tell her of cosmetics less injurious to the skin, a

the sacred cause of Democracy; the moral Uplift of the people; Sanity, Wisdom, Truth, the higher Justice; all the forces on which she was relying for the regeneration of the world-all arrayed in stern