“We are wandering from the point, Joe,” returned Mr. Lavender.  “Who is it that governs, the country?”

“A Unseen Power,” replied Joe promptly.

“How?”

“Well, sir, we’re a democratic country, ain’t we?  Parlyment’s elected by the People, and Gover’ment’s elected by Parlyment.  All right so far; but what ’appens?  Gover’ment says ‘I’m going to do this.’  So long as it meets with the approval of the Unseen Power, well an’ good.  But what if it don’t?  The U.P. gets busy; in an ’undred papers there begins to appear what the U.P. calls Public Opinion, that’s to say the opinion of the people that agree with the U.P.  There you ’ave it, sir, only them —­and it appears strong.  Attacks on the Gover’ment policy, nasty things said abaht members of it that’s indiscreet enough to speak aht what, they think—­German fathers, and other secret vices; an’ what’s more than all, not a peep at any opinion that supports the Gover’ment.  Well, that goes on day after day, playin’ on the mind of Parlyment, if they’ve got any, and gittin’ on the Gover’ment’s nerves, which they’ve got weak, till they says:  ’Look ’ere, it’s no go; Public Opinion won’t stand it.  We shall be outed; and that’ll never do, because there’s no other set of fellows that can save this country.’  Then they ‘ave a meetin’ and change their policy.  And what they’ve never seen is that they’ve never seen Public Opinion at all.  All they’ve seen is what the U.P. let ’em.  Now if I was the Gover’ment, I’d ’ave it out once for all with the U. P.”

“Ah!” cried Mr. Lavender, whose eyes were starting from his, head, so profoundly was he agitated by what was to him a new thought.

“Yes,” continued Joe, “if I was the Gover’ment, next time it ’appened, I’d say:  ’All right, old cock, do your damnedest.  I ain’t responsible to you.  Attack, suppress, and all the rest of it.  We’re goin’ to do what we say, all the same!’ And then I’d do it.  And what’d come of it?  Either the U.P. would go beyond the limits of the Law—­and then I’d jump on it, suppress its papers, and clap it into quod—­or it’d take it lyin’ down.  Whichever ’appened it’d be all up with the U. P. I’d a broke its chain off my neck for good.  But I ain’t the Gover’ment, an Gover’ment’s got tender feet.  I ask you, sir, wot’s the good of havin’ a Constitooshion, and a the bother of electing these fellows, if they can’t act according to their judgment for the short term of their natural lives?  The U.P. may be patriotic and estimable, and ’ave the best intentions and all that, but its outside the Constitooshion; and what’s more, I’m not goin’ to spend my last blood an’ my last money in a democratic country to suit the tastes of any single man, or triumpherate, or wotever it may be made of.  If the Government’s uncertain wot the country wants they can always ask it in the proper way, but they never ought to take it on ’earsay from the papers.  That’s wot I think.”

While he was speaking Mr. Lavender had become excited to the point of fever, for, without intending it, Joe had laid bare to him a yawning chasm between his worship of public men and his devotion to the Press.  And no sooner had his chauffeur finished than he cried:  “Leave me, Joe, for I must think this out.”