"The deuce you have, sir," he said.
"Yes," cried Mr. Lavender and in concentration and marvellous
simplicity, "it has, I am sure, never been surpassed. It is clear to me,
sir, that you, and you alone, must be this League of Nations. For if it
is entirely in your hands there will be no delay. The plan will spring
full fledged from the head of Jove, and this great and beneficial change
in the lot of mankind will at once become an accomplished fact. There
will be no need for keeping in touch with human nature, no call for
patience and all that laborious upbuilding stone by stone which is so
apt to discourage mankind and imperil the fruition of great reforms. No,
sir; you--you must be this League, and we will all work to the end that
tomorrow at latest there may be perfected this crowning achievement of
the human species."
The gentleman, who had commenced to walk again, looked furtively from
Mr. Lavender to the Secretary, and said:
"By Jingo! some idea!"
"Yes," cried Mr. Lavender, entranced that his grand notion should be
at once accepted; "for it is only men like you who can both soaringly
conceive and immediately concrete in action; and, what is more, there
will be no fear of your tiring of this job and taking up another, for
you will be IT; and one cannot change oneself.
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