He sat up till three in the morning working out statistics for an article.  Statistics, figures, were delightful.  They were a rest.  They mattered.

4

Two days later, at the Fact office, Peacock, turning over galley slips, said, ’This thing of yours on Esthonian food conditions looks like a government schedule.  Couldn’t you make it more attractive?’

‘To whom?’ asked Gideon.

‘Well—­the ordinary reader.’

’Oh, the ordinary reader.  I meant it to be attractive to people who want information.’

’Well, but a little jam with the powder....  For instance, you draw no inference from your facts.  It’s dull.  Why not round the thing off into a good article?’

’I can’t round things.  I don’t like them round, either.  I’ve given the facts, unearthed with considerable trouble and pains.  No one else has.  Isn’t it enough?’

‘Oh, it’ll do.’  Peacock’s eyes glanced over the other proofs on his desk.  ‘We’ve got some good stuff this number.’

‘Nice round articles—­yes.’  Gideon turned the slips over with his lean brown fingers carelessly.  He picked one up.

‘Hallo.  I didn’t know that chap was reviewing Coal and Wages.’

‘Yes.  He asked if he could.’

‘Do you think he knows enough?’

‘It’s quite a good review.  Read it.’

Gideon read it carefully, then laid it down and said, ’I don’t agree with you that it’s a good review.  He’s made at least two mistakes.  And the whole thing’s biased by his personal political theories.’

‘Only enough to give it colour.’

’You don’t want colour in a review of a book of that sort.  You only want intelligence and exact knowledge.’

’Oh, Clitherton’s all right.  His head’s screwed on the right way.  He knows his subject.’

’Not well enough.  He’s a political theorist, not a good economist.  That’s hopeless.  Why didn’t you get Hinkson to do it?’

‘Hinkson can’t write for nuts.’

’Doesn’t matter.  Hinkson wouldn’t have slipped up over his figures or dates.’

’My dear old chap, writing does matter.  You’re going crazy on that subject.  Of course it matters that a thing should be decently put together.’

’It matters much more that it should be well informed.  It is, of course, quite possible to be both.’

‘Oh, quite.  That’s the idea of the Fact, after all.’

’Peacock, I hate all these slipshod fellows you get now.  I wish you’d chuck the lot.  They’re well enough for most journalism, but they don’t know enough for us.’

Peacock said, ’Oh, we’ll thrash it out another time, if you don’t mind.  I’ve got to get through some letters now,’ and rang for his secretary.

Gideon went to his own room and searched old files for the verification and correction of Clitherton’s mistakes.  He found them, and made a note of them.  Unfortunately they weakened Clitherton’s argument a little.  Clitherton would have to modify it.  Clitherton, a sweeping and wholesale person, would not like that.