AftersomepainswediscoveredtheofficeoftheFabianSociety，lurkinginacellarinClement’sInn；andwewentandinterviewedaratherdiscouragingsecretarywhostoodastraddleinfrontofafireandquestionedusseverelyandseemedtodoubttheintegrityofourintentionsprofoundly。HeadvisedustoattendthenextopenmeetinginClifford’sInnandgaveusthenecessarydata。
Webothcontrivedtogettotheaffair，andheardadiscursivegrittypaperonTrustsandoneofthemostinconclusivediscussionsyoucanimagine。Three-quartersofthespeakersseemedundersomejocularobsessionwhichtooktheformofpretendingtobeconceited。Itwasasortoffamilyjoke，andasstrangerstothefamilywedidnotlikeit。AswecameoutthroughthenarrowpassagefromClifford’sInntotheStrand，Ewartsuddenlypitcheduponawizened，spectacledlittlemaninavastfelthatandalargeorangetie。
“HowmanymembersarethereinthisFabianSocietyofyours？”heasked。
Thelittlemanbecameatoncedefensiveinhismanner。
“Aboutsevenhundred。”hesaid；“perhapseight。”