Then followed other ministers, who took their cue from their chief; but
there was no hint that any of them had ever made a serious attempt to
understand the problem which has arisen to confront them so seriously.
They talked, or so at least it seemed to Robert, who sat in the body of
the hall with the rest of the delegates, to the miners as if they were
children, naughty and spoilt; and of course such an attitude could never
bring about any form of agreement to sensible men, who deal every day
with the life at the rough, raw edges of things.
So it was, when four of them had spoken after the Prime Minister, and
none of them had shown any attempt to grapple with the subject under
dispute, Robert felt more and more the truth of his fellow-delegates'
description. It was all a masterly bit of wheedling and the Chancellor's
effort especially was designed to win them over to a compromise
settlement.
He began jocularly with a broad jest which set the delegates all rocking
with laughter, telling how glad he was to be there to talk over with
them the difficulties which had arisen. It always gave him pleasure to
meet them and to get to know their point of view; because usually their
good sense and their large stock of prudence made them amenable to
listening to a reasoned argument.
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