"As well as could be expected, I suppose," said Judith with an apathy which did not escape him. "I really have very little to do with it."
"That's natural."
"I suppose so. Anyway, Mr. Good and Roger need no assistance from me."
"Is Roger really active?"
"Indeed he is. He used to be rather submissive to me, but now he acts as if I really knew very little about it. I'm glad he does, too. It shows he's grown up. The best thing about The Dispatch is what it's done for Roger."
"No, it isn't," said Imrie soberly. "That's a good thing, of course. I'm delighted. But it's not the best thing—not by a long way. Frankly I was sceptical about The Dispatch at first. I thought your friend Good was just a crank. But the paper's gone ahead so splendidly. It's done such a really wonderful work—and then, you see, when I waked up, I saw things differently. The people I've been in contact with lately have made me understand Good. I used rather to dislike him. I honestly admire him now."
"Yes," said Judith quietly, "he is rather admirable." Something in her voice made Imrie study her narrowly. A wistful look crept into his eyes, and he was silent. Judith, subconsciously, realised the change in him and she hastened to shift the topic.
"But this work doesn't take all your time, does it? What else are you doing?" She rather expected a denial, and his reply surprised her.
"No, it doesn't," he said, with something of his former enthusiasm gone. "Or rather I haven't told you all of our work. You see Weis has gone into politics rather more or less in his own city, and we're drifting that way, too. They want me to run for alderman. I live downtown now, you see. It's a bad ward. The decent people have never had a chance in it. Of course it sounds silly—but really—I think seriously of it."
"I don't think it sounds silly at all," she cried. "I think it's splendid. You can count on The Dispatch."