“I agree with you,” he replied.  “One of the pleasing features of the axioms of Socialism adopted by the Democratic Party is that it respects the rights of the wealthy as well as the rights of the poor man.  The Democrats may—­in fact, they most certainly will—­legislate to prevent the hoarding of wealth or to have it handed down to unborn generations, but I can assure you that it does not propose to interfere with the ethics of meum and tuum.”

“I wish I could make out what it’s all about,” Lady Alice murmured.

“Couldn’t you give a drawing-room lecture, Mr. Tallente, and tell us?” the banker’s wife suggested.

“I am unfortunately a little short of time for such missionary enterprise,” Tallente replied, with unappreciated sarcasm.  “Dartrey’s volume on ‘Socialism in Our Daily Life’ will tell you all about it.”  “Far too dry,” she sighed.  “I tried to read it but I never got past the first half-dozen pages.”

“Some day,” Tallente observed coolly, “it may be worth your while, all of you, to try and master the mental inertia which makes thought a labour; the application which makes a moderately good bridge player should be sufficient.  Otherwise, you may find yourselves living in an altered state of Society, without any reasonable idea as to how you got there.”  Mrs. Ward Levitte turned to her hostess.

“Lady Jane,” she begged, “come and rescue us, please.  We are being scolded.  Colonel Fosbrook, we need a man to protect us.  Mr. Tallente is threatening us with terrible things.”

“We’re getting what we asked for,” Lady Alice put in quickly.

Colonel Fosbrook caressed for a moment a somewhat scanty moustache.  He was a man of early middle-age, with a high forehead, an aquiline nose and a somewhat vague expression.

“I’m afraid my protection wouldn’t be much use to you,” he said, regarding Tallente with mild interest.  “I happen to be one of the few surviving Tories.  I imagine that Mr. Tallente’s opinions and mine are so far apart that even argument would be impossible.”

Tallente acquiesced, smiling.

“Besides which, I never argue, outside the House,” he added.  “You should stand for Parliament, Colonel Fosbrook, and let us hear once more the Athanasian Creed of politics.  All opposition is wholesome.”

Colonel Fosbrook glared.  The fact that he had three times stood for Parliament and three times been defeated was one of the mortifications of his life.  He made his adieux to Jane and departed, and to Tallente’s joy a break-up of the party seemed imminent.  Mrs. Ward Levitte drifted out and Lady English followed suit.  Lady Somerham also rose to her feet, but after a glance at Tallente sat down again.

“My dear Jane,” she insisted, “you must dine with us to-night.  You haven’t been here long enough to have any engagements, and it always puts your uncle in such a good temper to hear that you are coming.”