HORSHAM. Well, you see . . Percival I can't do without. Now that Blackborough knows of his objections to the finance he'd go to him and take Chisholm and offer to back them up. I know he would . . he didn't take Farrant away with him for nothing. [_Then he flashes out rather shrilly._] It's Trebell's own fault. He ought not to have committed himself definitely to any scheme until he was safely in office. I warned him about Percival . . I warned him not to be explicit. One cannot work with men who will make up their minds prematurely. No, I shall not change my mind. I shall write to him. _He goes firmly to his writing desk leaving_ CANTELUPE _forlorn_. CANTELUPE. What about a messenger? HORSHAM. Not at this time of night. I'll post it. CANTELUPE. I'll post it as I go. _He seeks comfort again in the piano and this time starts to play, with one finger and some hesitation, the first bars of a Bach fugue._ HORSHAM'S _pen-nib is disappointing him and the letter is not easy to phrase_. HORSHAM. But I hate coming to immediate decisions. The administrative part of my brain always tires after half an hour. Does yours, Charles? CANTELUPE. What do you think Trebell will do now? HORSHAM. [_A little grimly._] Punish us all he can. _On reaching the second voice in the fugue_ CANTELUPE'S _virtuosity breaks down_. CANTELUPE. All that ability turned to destructiveness . . what a pity! That's the paradox of human activities . . _Suddenly_ HORSHAM _looks up and his face is lighted with a seraphic smile_. HORSHAM. Charles . . I wish we could do without Blackborough. CANTELUPE. [_Struck with the idea._] Well . . why not? HORSHAM. Yes . . I must think about it. [_They both get up, cheered considerably._] You won't forget this, will you? CANTELUPE. [_The letter in_ HORSHAM'S _hand accusing him_.] No . . no. I don't think I have been the cause of your dropping Trebell, have I? HORSHAM, _rid of the letter, is rid of responsibility and his charming equable self again. He comforts his cousin paternally._ HORSHAM. I don't think so. The split would have come when Blackborough checkmated my forming a cabinet. It would have pleased him to do that . . and he could have, over Trebell. But now that question's out of the way . . you won't get such a bad measure with Trebell in opposition. He'll frighten us into keeping it up to the mark, so to speak. CANTELUPE. [_A little comforted._] But I shall miss one or two of those ideas . . HORSHAM. [_So pleasantly sceptical._] Do you think they'd have outlasted the second reading? Dullness in the country one expects. Dullness in the House one can cope with. But do you know, I have never sat in a cabinet yet that didn't greet anything like a new idea in chilling silence. CANTELUPE. Well, I should regret to have caused you trouble, Cyril. HORSHAM. [_His hand on the other's shoulder._] Oh . . we don't take politics so much to heart as that, I hope.