AMY.  I think I’ll go on to this place that I’ve heard of.  If I wait ... for your sister ... she may disappoint me again.

TREBELL.  Wait.

      KENT’S room is vacant.

AMY.  Well ... in here?

TREBELL.  If you like law-books.

AMY.  I haven’t been much of an interruption now, have I?

TREBELL.  Please wait.

AMY.  Thank you.

TREBELL shuts her in, for a moment seems inclined to lock her in, but he comes back into his own room and faces CANTELUPE, who having primed and trained himself on his subject like a gun, fires off a speech, without haste, but also apparently without taking breath.

CANTELUPE.  I was extremely thankful, Mr. Trebell, to hear last week from Horsham that you will see your way to join his cabinet and undertake the disestablishment bill in the House of Commons.  Any measure of mine, I have always been convinced, would be too much under the suspicion of blindly favouring Church interests to command the allegiance of that heterogeneous mass of thought ... in some cases, alas, of free thought ... which now-a-days composes the Conservative party.  I am more than content to exercise what influence I may from a seat in the cabinet which will authorise the bill.

TREBELL.  Yes.  That chair’s comfortable.

      CANTELUPE takes another.

CANTELUPE.  Horsham forwarded to me your memorandum upon the conditions you held necessary and I incline to think I may accept them in principle on behalf of those who honour me with their confidences.

      He fishes some papers from his pocket. TREBELL sits squarely at his
      table to grapple with the matter.

TREBELL.  Horsham told me you did accept them ... it’s on that I’m joining.

CANTELUPE.  Yes ... in principle.

TREBELL.  Well ... we couldn’t carry a bill you disapproved of, could we?

CANTELUPE. [With finesse.] I hope not.

TREBELL. [A little dangerously.] And I have no intention of being made the scapegoat of a wrecked Tory compromise with the Nonconformists.

CANTELUPE. [Calmly ignoring the suggestion.] So far as I am concerned I meet the Nonconformists on their own ground ... that Religion had better be free from all compromise with the State.

TREBELL.  Quite so ... if you’re set free you’ll look after yourselves.  My discovery must be what to do with the men who think more of the state than their Church ... the majority of parsons, don’t you think? ... if the question’s really put and they can be made to understand it.

CANTELUPE. [With sincere disdain.] There are more profitable professions.

TREBELL.  And less.  Will you allow me that it is statecraft to make a profession profitable?

      CANTELUPE picks up his papers, avoiding theoretical discussion.