Dr Drummond, lost in an armchair, alternately
contemplated it and remembered to assert himself part of
it. As head of a deputation from the United Chambers of
Commerce of Canada shortly to wait on the British Government
to press for the encouragement of improved communications
within the Empire, Cruickshank had been asked to select
a secretary. The appointment, in view of the desirability,
for political reasons, of giving the widest publicity to
the hopes and motives of the deputation, was an important
one. The action of the Canadian Government, in extending
conditional promises of support, had to be justified to
the Canadian taxpayer; and that shy and weary person
whose shoulders uphold the greatness of Britain, had also
to receive such conciliation and reassurance as it was
possible to administer to him, by way of nerving the
administrative arm over there to an act of enterprise.
Mr Cruickshank had had two or three young fellows, mostly
newspaper men, in his mind's eye; but when Lorne came
into his literal range of vision, the others had promptly
been retired in our friend's favour. Young Mr Murchison,
he had concluded, was the man they wanted; and if his
office could spare him, it would probably do young Mr
Murchison no harm in any sort of way to accompany the
deputation to London and throw himself into the matter
the deputation had at heart.
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