Politically, his creed was his growing country; and
he came over to England to develop a Great Idea in her behalf.
Believing that he had put it in train, I made haste to welcome
him to my house for a week.
That he was chased to my door by his own Agent-General in a
motor; that they turned my study into a Cabinet Meeting which I
was not invited to attend; that the local telegraph all but broke
down beneath the strain of hundred word coded cables; and that I
practically broke into the house of a stranger to get him
telephonic facilities on a Sunday, are things I overlook. What I
objected to was his ingratitude, while I thus tore up England to
help him. So I said: "Why on earth didn't you see your Opposite
Number in Town instead of bringing your office work here?"
"Eh? Who?" said he, looking up from his fourth cable since lunch.
"See the English Minister for Ways and Woodsides."
"I saw him," said Penfentenyou, without enthusiasm.
It seemed that he had called twice on the gentleman, but without
an appointment--("I thought if I wasn't big enough, my business
was")--and each time had found him engaged.
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