he wasn't strong enough to hold his own, he'd ought to have kept
quiet."

"You're a Conservative, of course," said Waymark, smiling. "You
believe only in keeping the balance. You don't are about reform."

"Don't be so sure of that Let me have the chance and he power, and
I'd reform hard enough, many a thing."

"Well, one might begin on a small scale. Suppose one took in hand
Litany Lane and Elm Court? Suppose we exert our right as the
stronger, and, to begin with, do a little whitewashing? Then sundry
stairs and ceilings might be looked to. No doubt there'd be
resistance, but on the whole it would be for the people's own good.
A little fresh draining mightn't be amiss, or--"

"What the devil's all this to do with politics?" cried Abraham,
whose face had grown dark.

"I should imagine, a good deal," returned Waymark, knocking out his
pipe. "If you're for government, yen mustn't be above considering
details."

"And so you think you have a hit at me, eh? Nothing of the kind.
These are affairs of private contract, and no concern of government
at all. In private contract a man has only a right to what he's
strong enough to exact If a tenant tells me my houses ain't fit to
live in, I tell him to go where he'll be better off' and I don't
hinder him; I know well enough in a day or two there'll come
somebody else. Ten to one he can't go, and he don't. Then why should