Venables.  Pardon me.  But he has righted himself subsequently in the neatest way.  I have always found that the man whose second thoughts are good is worth watching.  Well, Comtesse, I see you have something to say.

Comtesse.  You are wondering whether she can tell you who gives him his second thoughts.

Maggie.  Gives them to John?  I would like to see anybody try to give thoughts to John.

Venables.  Quite so.

Comtesse.  Is there anything more that has roused your admiration
Charles?

Venables [purring].  Let me see.  Yes, we are all much edified by his humour.

Comtesse [surprised indeed].  His humour?  That man!

Maggie [with hauteur].  Why not?

Venables.  I assure you, Comtesse, some of the neat things in his speeches convulse the house.  A word has even been coined for them—­ Shandisms.

Comtesse [slowly recovering from a blow].  Humour!

Venables.  In conversation, I admit, he strikes one as being—­ah—­ somewhat lacking in humour.

Comtesse [pouncing].  You are wondering who supplies his speeches with the humour.

Maggie.  Supplies John?

Venables.  Now that you mention it, some of his Shandisms do have a curiously feminine quality.

Comtesse.  You have thought it might be a woman.

Venables.  Really, Comtesse—­

Comtesse.  I see it all.  Charles, you thought it might be the wife!

Venables [flinging up his hands].  I own up.

Maggie [bewildered].  Me?

Venables.  Forgive me, I see I was wrong.

Maggie [alarmed].  Have I been doing John any harm?

Venables.  On the contrary, I am relieved to know that there are no hairpins in his speeches.  If he is at home, Mrs. Shand, may I see him?  I am going to be rather charming to him.

Maggie [drawn in two directions].  Yes, he is—­oh yes—­but—­

Venables.  That is to say, Comtesse, if he proves himself the man I believe him to be.

[This arrests Maggie almost as she has reached the dining-room door.]

Maggie [hesitating].  He is very busy just now.

Venables [smiling].  I think he will see me.

Maggie.  Is it something about his speech?

Venables [the smile hardening].  Well, yes, it is.

Maggie.  Then I dare say I could tell you what you want to know without troubling him, as I’ve been typing it.

Venables [with a sigh].  I don’t acquire information in that way.

Comtesse.  I trust not.

Maggie.  There’s no secret about it.  He is to show it to the whips tonight.

Venables [sharply].  You are sure of that?