“I don’t mind that,” said Mr. Britling.  “Women over here go into politics and into public-houses—­I don’t see why they shouldn’t.  If such things are good enough for men they are good enough for women; we haven’t your sort of chivalry.  But it’s the peculiar malignant silliness of this sort of Toryism that’s so discreditable.  It’s discreditable.  There’s no good in denying it.  Those people you have heard and seen are a not unfair sample of our governing class—­of a certain section of our governing class—­as it is to-day.  Not at all unfair.  And you see how amazingly they haven’t got hold of anything.  There was a time when they could be politic....  Hidden away they have politic instincts even now....  But it makes me sick to think of this Irish business.  Because, you know, it’s true—­we are drifting towards civil war there.”

“You are of that opinion?” said Mr. Direck.

“Well, isn’t it so?  Here’s all this Ulster gun-running—­you heard how she talked of it?  Isn’t it enough to drive the south into open revolt?...”

“Is there very much, do you think, in the suggestion that some of this Ulster trouble is a German intrigue?  You and Mr. Philbert were saying things—­”

“I don’t know,” said Mr. Britling shortly.

“I don’t know,” he repeated.  “But it isn’t because I don’t think our Unionists and their opponents aren’t foolish enough for anything of the sort.  It’s only because I don’t believe that the Germans are so stupid as to do such things....  Why should they?...

“It makes me—­expressionless with anger,” said Mr. Britling after a pause, reverting to his main annoyance.  “They won’t consider any compromise.  It’s sheer love of quarrelling....  Those people there think that nothing can possibly happen.  They are like children in a nursery playing at rebellion.  Unscathed and heedless.  Until there is death at their feet they will never realise they are playing with loaded guns....”

For a time he said no more; and listened perfunctorily while Mr. Direck tried to indicate the feeling in New England towards the Irish Question and the many difficult propositions an American politician has to face in that respect.  And when Mr. Britling took up the thread of speech again it had little or no relation to Mr. Direck’s observations.

“The psychology of all this recent insubordination and violence is—­curious.  Exasperating too....  I don’t quite grasp it....  It’s the same thing whether you look at the suffrage business or the labour people or at this Irish muddle.  People may be too safe.  You see we live at the end of a series of secure generations in which none of the great things of life have changed materially.  We’ve grown up with no sense of danger—­that is to say, with no sense of responsibility.  None of us, none of us—­for though I talk my actions belie me—­really believe that life can change very fundamentally any more forever.  All this",—­Mr. Britling