"You will meet very strong opposition."
"I expect it," he replied. "And I shall be justified in asking for the right. I am looking to the result."
She nodded thoughtfully.
"Now, your part in this," he began again, and she looked up quickly, "is to be, if you will let me say it so, my ear. The plan will be proposed soon; I shall know what's said for it, I want to know what's said against it. You can help me gage the quality of the opposition. Will you do it?"
"Willingly," she answered. "But the strike?"
"Ah," he returned, "I wish I might ask you to help me there also. There are two things which can assure a strike success: one is determination in the men themselves, one is the sympathy of the public. Do you go about enough, do you see people enough—of the middle class, I mean—to be able to form an opinion on these two points?"
"I can do so," she answered.
"Thank you," he said eagerly. "One thing more—your advice! When you have done all this, will you give me your opinion freely?"
"If it is of any worth," she replied, "you will be welcome to it."
The enthusiasm, he feared, had lapsed; he did his best to rouse it. "If you range yourself against me, I shall not be surprised."