HORSHAM.  Well ... he didn’t?

FARRANT.  I’m trying to be accurate! [Obviously their nerves are now on edge.] He said we should find him tough to assimilate—­as he warned you.

      HORSHAM with knit brows, loses himself in thought again,
      BLACKBOROUGH quietly turns his attention to FARRANT.

BLACKBOROUGH.  Farrant, you don’t seriously think that ... outside his undoubted capabilities ...  Trebell is an acquisition to the party?

FARRANT. [Unwillingly.] Perhaps not.  But if you’re going to chuck a man ... don’t chuck him when he’s down.

BLACKBOROUGH.  He’s no longer down.  We’ve got him O’Connell’s promise and jolly grateful he ought to be.  I think the least we can do is to keep our minds clear between Trebell’s advantage and the party’s.

CANTELUPE. [From the distant music-stool.] And the party’s and the Country’s.

BLACKBOROUGH. [Countering quite deftly.] Cantelupe, either we think it best for the country to have our party in power or we don’t.

FARRANT. [In judicious temper.] Certainly, I don’t feel our responsibility towards him is what it was ten minutes ago.  The man has other careers besides his political one.

BLACKBOROUGH. [Ready to praise.] Clever as paint at the Bar—­best Company lawyer we’ve got.

CANTELUPE.  It is not what he loses, I think ... but what we lose in losing him.

      He says this so earnestly that HORSHAM pays attention.

HORSHAM.  No, my dear Charles, let us be practical.  If his position with us is to be made impossible it is better that he shouldn’t assume it.

BLACKBOROUGH. [Soft and friendly.] How far are you actually pledged to him?

      HORSHAM looks up with the most ingenuous of smiles.

HORSHAM.  That’s always such a difficult sort of point to determine, isn’t it?  He thinks he is to join us.  But I’ve not yet been commanded to form a cabinet.  If neither you—­nor Percival—­nor perhaps others will work with him ... what am I to do? [He appeals to them generally to justify this attitude.]

BLACKBOROUGH.  He no longer thinks he’s to join us ... it’s the question he left us to decide.

      He leaves HORSHAM, whose perplexity is diminishing. FARRANT makes
      an effort.

FARRANT.  But the scandal won’t weaken his position with us now.  There won’t be any scandal ... there won’t, Blackborough.

HORSHAM.  There may be.  Though, I take it we’re all guiltless of having mentioned the matter.

BLACKBOROUGH. [Very detached.] I’ve only known of it since I came into this house ... but I shall not mention it.

FARRANT.  Oh, I’m afraid my wife knows. [He adds hastily.] My fault ... my fault entirely.

BLACKBOROUGH.  I tell you Rumour’s electric.