Frankness?--loyalty? It would, no doubt, be said that Ferrier had always
behaved with singular generosity both toward opponents and toward
dissidents in his own party. Open and serious argument was at no time
unwelcome to him.
All very well! But how was one to argue, beyond a certain point, with a
man twenty-five years your senior, who had known you in jackets, and was
also your political chief?
Moreover, he had argued--to the best of his ability. Ferrier had written
him a striking series of letters, no doubt, and he had replied to them.
As to Ferrier's wish that he should communicate certain points in those
letters to Barton and Lankester, he had done it, to some extent. But it
was a most useless proceeding. The arguments employed had been
considered and rejected a hundred times already by every member of the
dissident group.
And with regard to the meeting, which had apparently roused so sharp a
resentment in Ferrier, Marsham maintained simply that he was not
responsible. It was a meeting of the advanced Radicals of the division.
Neither Marsham nor his agents had been present. Certain remarks and
opinions of his own had been quoted indeed, even in public, as leading
up to it, and justifying it.
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