No first step can be really great; it must of necessity
possess more of prophecy than of achievement; nevertheless it
is by the first step that a man marks the value, not only of
his cause, but of himself. Following broadly on the lines
that tradition has laid down for the Conservative orator,
Loder disguised rather than displayed the vein of strong,
persuasive eloquence that was his natural gift. The occasion
that might possibly justify such a display of individuality
might lie with the future, but it had no application to the
present. For the moment his duty was to voice his party
sentiments with as much lucidity, as much logic, and as much
calm conviction as lay within his capacity.
Standing quietly in Chilcote's place, he was conscious with a
deep sense of gravity of the peculiarity of his position; and
perhaps it was this unconscious and unstudied seriousness that
lent him the tone of weight and judgment so essential to the
cause he had in hand. It has always been difficult to arouse
the interest of the House on matters of British policy in
Persia.
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