Part 26 (2/2)

CANTELUPE. [_His eye on_ BLACKBOROUGH.] Understand there are things in that scheme we must stand or fall by.

_Suddenly_ TREBELL _makes for the door_, HORSHAM _gets up concernedly._

TREBELL. Horsham, make up your mind to-night whether you can do with me or not. I have to see Percival again to-morrow ... we cut short our argument at the important point. Good-bye ... don't come down. Will you decide to-night?

HORSHAM. I have made up my own mind.

TREBELL. Is that sufficient?

HORSHAM. A collective decision is a matter of development.

TREBELL. Well, I shall expect to hear.

HORSHAM. By hurrying one only reaches a rash conclusion.

TREBELL. Then be rash for once and take the consequences. Good-night.

_He is gone before_ HORSHAM _can compose another epigram._

BLACKBOROUGH. [_Deprecating such conduct._] Lost his temper!

FARRANT. [_Ruffling considerably._] Horsham, if Trebell is to be hounded out of your cabinet ... he won't go alone.

HORSHAM. [_Bitter-sweet._] My dear Farrant ... I have yet to form my cabinet.

CANTELUPE. You are forming it to carry disestablishment, are you not, Cyril?

Therefore you will form it in the best interests of the best scheme possible.

HORSHAM. Trebell was and is the best man I know of for the purpose. I'm a little weary of saying that.

_He folds his arms and awaits further developments. After a moment_ CANTELUPE _gets up as if to address a meeting._

CANTELUPE. Then if you would prefer not to include me ... I shall feel justified in giving independent support to a scheme I have great faith in.

[_And he sits down again._]

BLACKBOROUGH. [_Impatiently._] My dear Cantelupe, if you think Horsham can form a disestablishment cabinet to include Trebell and exclude you, you're vastly mistaken. I for one....

FARRANT. But do both of you consider how valuable, how vital Trebell is to us just at this moment? The Radicals trust him....

BLACKBOROUGH. They hate him.

HORSHAM. [_Elucidating._] Their front bench hates him because he turned them out. The rest of them hate their front bench. After six years of office, who wouldn't?

BLACKBOROUGH. That's true.

FARRANT. Oh, of course, we must stick to Trebell, Blackborough.

<script>