HORSHAM. [Safe on his own ground.] It’s only a curious metaphysical point.  Have you never noticed your distaste for the colour of a man’s hair translate itself ultimately into an objection to his religious opinions ... or what not?  I am sure—­for instance—­I could trace Charles’s scruples about sitting in a cabinet with Trebell back to a sort of academic reverence for women generally which he possesses.  I am sure I could ... if he were not probably now doing it himself.  But this does not make the scruples less real, less religious, or less political.  We must be humanly biased in expression ... or not express ourselves.

BLACKBOROUGH. [Whose thoughts have wandered.] The man’s less of a danger than he was ...  I mean he’ll be alone.  The Liberals won’t have him back.  He smashed his following there to come over to us.

FARRANT. [Giving a further meaning to this.] Yes, Blackborough, he did.

BLACKBOROUGH.  To gain his own ends!  Oh, my dear Horsham, can’t you see that if O’Connell had blabbed to-morrow it really would have been a blessing in disguise?  I don’t pretend to Cantelupe’s standard ... but there must be something radically wrong with a man who could get himself into such a mess as that ... now mustn’t there?  Ah! ... you have a fatal partiality for clever people.  I tell you ... though this might be patched up ...  Trebell would fail us in some other way before we were six months older.

      This speech has its effect; but HORSHAM looks at him a little
      sternly.

HORSHAM.  And am I to conclude that you don’t want Charles to change his mind?

BLACKBOROUGH. [On another tack.] Farrant has not yet allowed us to hear Percival’s opinion.

FARRANT looks rather alarmed.

FARRANT.  It has very little reference to the scandal.

BLACKBOROUGH.  As that is at an end ... all the more reason we should hear it.

HORSHAM. [Ranging himself with FARRANT.] I called this quite informal meeting, Blackborough, only to dispose of the scandal, if possible.

BLACKBOROUGH.  Well, of course, if Farrant chooses to insult Percival so gratuitously by burking his message to us....

      There is an unspoken threat in this, HORSHAM sees it and without
      disguising his irritation....

HORSHAM.  Let us have it, Farrant.

FARRANT. [With a sort of puzzled discontent.] Well ...  I never got to telling him of the O’Connell affair at all.  He started talking to me ... saying that he couldn’t for a moment agree to Trebell’s proposals for the finance of his bill ...  I couldn’t get a word in edgeways.  Then his wife came up....

      HORSHAM takes something in this so seriously that he actually
      interrupts.

HORSHAM.  Does he definitely disagree?  What is his point?

FARRANT.  He says Disestablishment’s a bad enough speculation for the party as it is.