For fully five minutes the delegates went wild in their cheering and
applause. Again and again it broke out afresh, when it had spent itself
a little, and seemed to be dying down, but the memory of it always
stirred them to fresh outbursts until at last, taking advantage of a
lull, the Prime Minister suggested that he and his colleagues would
prefer that the conference should stand adjourned till the next day, and
this was agreed to by the delegates, who were not averse to the holiday.
Congratulations were showered upon Robert from all sides. Even men who
differed from him on most things grasped his hand and shook it, and told
him how proud they were of his little speech.
Robert heard and saw all their pleased enjoyment but was vaguely
troubled in his heart, wondering how Smillie would have taken it, and
this pained him more than the pleasant things the other delegates said
to him.
"Man, Sinclair," said the one who had sat next to Robert in the
Conference, when they got out on to the street, "you've fairly upset the
hale jing bang o' them the day. Lod! But I was like a balloon in a high
wind, fair carried away wi' you. I never thocht you could have done
that.
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