CANTELUPE. I won't have this. I won't have this opportunity frittered away for party purposes. BLACKBOROUGH. [_Expostulating reasonably._] My dear Cantelupe . . you'll get whatever you think it right for the Church to have. You carry a solid thirty eight votes with you. HORSHAM'S _smooth voice intervenes. He speaks with finesse._ HORSHAM. Percival, as an old campaigner, expresses himself very roughly. The point is, that we are after all only the trustees of the party. If we know that a certain step will decimate it . . clearly we have no right to take the step. CANTELUPE. [_Glowing to white heat._] Is this a time to count the consequences to ourselves? HORSHAM. [_Unkindly._] By your action this evening, Charles, you evidently think not. [_He salves the wound._] No matter, I agree with you . . the bill should be a comprehensive one, whoever brings it in. BLACKBOROUGH. [_Not without enjoyment of the situation._] Whoever brings it in will have to knuckle under to Percival over its finance. FARRANT. Trebell won't do that. I warned Percival. HORSHAM. Then what did he say? FARRANT. He only swore. HORSHAM _suddenly becomes peevish_. HORSHAM. I think, Farrant, you should have given me this message before. FARRANT. My dear Horsham, what had it to do with our request to O'Connell? HORSHAM. [_Scolding the company generally._] Well then, I wish he hadn't sent it. I wish we were not discussing these points at all. The proper time for them is at a cabinet meeting. And when we have actually assumed the responsibilities of government . . then threats of resignation are not things to be played about with. FARRANT. Did you expect Percival's objection to the finance of the scheme? HORSHAM. Perhaps . . perhaps. I knew Trebell was to see him last Tuesday. I expect everybody's objections to any parts of every scheme to come at a time when I am in a proper position to reconcile them . . not now. _Having vented his grievances he sits down to recover._ BLACKBOROUGH _takes advantage of the ensuing pause_. BLACKBOROUGH. It isn't so easy for me to speak against Trebell, since he evidently dislikes me personally as much as I dislike him . . but I'm sure I'm doing my duty. Horsham . . here you have Cantelupe who won't stand in with the man, and Percival who won't stand in with his measure, while I would sooner stand in with neither. Isn't it better to face the situation now than take trouble to form the most makeshift of Cabinets, and if that doesn't go to pieces, be voted down in the House by your own party? _There is an oppressive silence._ HORSHAM _is sulky. The matter is beyond_ FARRANT. CANTELUPE _whose agonies have expressed themselves in slight writhings, at last, with an effort, writhes himself to his feet_. CANTELUPE. I think I am prepared to reconsider my decision. FARRANT. That's all right then! _He looks round wonderingly for the rest of the chorus to find that neither_ BLACKBOROUGH _nor_ HORSHAM _have stirred_.