Hill Parliament, that powerful institution. At that time Comrade
Bickersdyke was as fruity a Socialist as Comrade Waller is now. Only,
apparently, as he began to get on a bit in the world, he altered his
views to some extent as regards the iniquity of freezing on to a decent
share of the doubloons. And that, you see, is where the dim and rusty
past begins to get mixed up with the live, vivid present. If any
tactless person were to publish those very able speeches made by
Comrade Bickersdyke when a bulwark of the Tulse Hill Parliament, our
revered chief would be more or less caught bending, if I may employ the
expression, as regards his chances of getting in as Unionist candidate
at Kenningford. You follow me, Watson? I rather fancy the light-hearted
electors of Kenningford, from what I have seen of their rather acute
sense of humour, would be, as it were, all over it. It would be very,
very trying for Comrade Bickersdyke if these speeches of his were to
get about.'

'You aren't going to--!'

'I shall do nothing rashly. I shall merely place this handsome volume
among my treasured books. I shall add it to my "Books that have helped
me" series. Because I fancy that, in an emergency, it may not be at all
a bad thing to have about me. And now,' he concluded, 'as the hour is
getting late, perhaps we had better be shoving off for home.'




19. The Illness of Edward