Page:Buchan - The Thirty-Nine Steps (Grosset Dunlap, 1915).djvu/94

 but that "organised labour" realised this and laughed the Tories to scorn. He was all for reducing our navy as a proof of our good faith, and then sending Germany an ultimatum telling her to do the same or we would knock her into a cocked hat. He said that but for the Tories, Germany and Britain would be fellow workers in peace and reform. I thought of the little black book in my pocket A giddy lot Scudder's friends cared for peace and reform. Yet in a queer way I liked the speech. You could see the niceness of the chap shining out behind the muck with which he had been spoon-fed. Also it took a load off my mind. I mightn't be much of an orator, but I was a thousand per cent better than Sir Harry. I didn't get on so badly when it came to my turn. I simply told them all I could remember about Australia, praying there should be no Australian there—all about its labour party and emigration and universal service, doubt if I remembered to mention trade, but I said there were no Tories in