clause becomes law, swine fever will rage through the land like a
demoniacal possession. The myriad pigs of Great Britain, possessed
of the, devils of Socialism, will be turned into Gadarene swine
hurtling down to destruction. You can show how they hurtle, like
this--" He flickered his bands. "Do try it."

"H'm!" said Colonel Winwood.

Sorely against his will, he tried it. To his astonishment it was a
success. The House of Commons, like Mr. Peter Magnus's friend, is
easily amused. The exaggeration gave a cannon-ball's weight to his
sound argument. The Government dropped the clause--it was only a
trivial part of a wide-reaching measure--the President of the
Board of Agriculture saying gracefully that in the miracle he hoped
to bring about he had unfortunately forgotten the effect it might
have on the pigs. There was "renewed laughter," but Colonel Winwood
remained the hero of the half-hour and received the ecstatic
congratulations of unhumorous friends. He might have defeated the
Government altogether. In the daily round of political life nothing
is so remarkable as the lack of sense of proportion.

"It was the Gadarene swine that did it," they said.

"And that," said Colonel Winwood honestly, "was my young devil of a
secretary."

Thenceforward the young wit and the fresh fancy of Paul played like
a fountain over Colonel Winwood's and speeches.

"Look here, young man," said he one day, "I don't like it. Sometimes