“Perfectly legitimate, I suppose,” the other assented grudgingly.  “That’s the worst of having a tactician in opposition.”

“You shouldn’t have let me get there,” was the quick retort.

Horlock drew a paper knife slowly down between his fingers.

“I sent Williams to you yesterday.”

“You did.  A nice errand for a respectably brought-up young man!”

“Chuck that, Tallente.”

“Why?  I didn’t misunderstand him, did I?”

“Apparently.  He told me that you used the word ‘blackmail.’”

“I don’t think the dictionary supplies a milder equivalent.”

“Tallente,” said Horlock with a frown, “we’ll finish with this once and for ever.  I refused the offer of the manuscript in question.”

“I am glad to hear it,” was the laconic reply.

“Leaving that out of the question, then, I suppose there’s no chance of your ratting?”

“Not the faintest.  I rather fancy I’ve settled down for good.”

Horlock lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair.

“No good looking impatient, Tallente,” he said.  “The door’s locked and you know it.  You’ll have to listen to what I want to say.  A few minutes of your time aren’t much to ask for.”

“Go ahead,” Tallente acquiesced.

“There is only one ambition,” Horlock continued, “for an earnest politician.  You know what that is as well as I do.  Wouldn’t you sooner be Prime Minister, supported by a recognised and reputable political party, than try to pull the chestnuts out of the fire for your friends Dartrey, Miller and company?”

“So this is the last bid, eh?” Tallente observed.

“It’s the last bid of all,” was the grave answer.  “There is nothing more.”

“And what becomes of you?”

“One section of the Press will say that I have shown self-denial and patriotism greater than any man of my generation and that my name will be handed down to history as one of the most single-minded statesmen of the day.  Another section will say that I have been forced into a well-deserved retirement and that it will remain a monument to my everlasting disgrace that I brought my party to such straits that it was obliged to compromise with the representative of an untried and unproven conglomeration of fanatics.  A third section—­”

“Oh, chuck it!” Tallente interrupted.  “Horlock, I appreciate your offer because I know that there is a large amount of self-denial in it, but I am glad of an opportunity to end all these discussions.  My word is passed to Dartrey.”

“And Miller?” the Prime Minister asked, with calm irony.

Tallente felt the sting and frowned irritably.

“I have had no discussions of any sort with Miller,” he answered.  “He has never been represented to me as holding an official position in the party.”

“If you ever succeed in forming a Democratic Government,” Horlock said, “mark my words, you will have to include him.”