FARN. No. It's the grief of my life. LADY JOHN. Oh, if you don't get one you'll get another. FARN. But there _is_ only one. LADY JOHN. Only one vacancy? FARN. Only one man I'd give my ears to work for. LADY JOHN (_smiling_). I remember. FARN. (_quickly_). Do I always talk about Stonor? Well, it's a habit people have got into. LADY JOHN. I forget, do you know Mr. Stonor personally, or (_smiling_) are you just dazzled from afar? FARN. Oh, I know him. The trouble is he doesn't know me. If he did he'd realise he can't be sure of winning his election without my valuable services. LADY JOHN. Geoffrey Stonor's re-election is always a foregone conclusion. FARN. That the great man shares that opinion is precisely his weak point. (_Smiling._) His only one. LADY JOHN. You think because the Liberals swept the country the last time---- FARN. How can we be sure any Conservative seat is safe after---- (_As_ LADY JOHN _smiles and turns to her papers._) Forgive me, I know you're not interested in politics _qua_ politics. But this concerns Geoffrey Stonor. LADY JOHN. And you count on my being interested in him like all the rest of my sex. FARN. (_leans forward_). Lady John, I've heard the news. LADY JOHN. What news? FARN. That your little niece--the Scotch heiress--is going to become Mrs. Geoffrey Stonor. LADY JOHN. Who told you that? FARN. Please don't mind my knowing. LADY JOHN (_visibly perturbed_). She had set her heart upon having a few days with just her family in the secret, before the flood of congratulations breaks loose. FARN. Oh, that's all right. I always hear things before other people. LADY JOHN. Well, I must ask you to be good enough to be very circumspect. I wouldn't have my niece think that I---- FARN. Oh, of course not. LADY JOHN. She will be here in an hour. FARN. (_jumping up delighted_). What? To-day? The future Mrs. Stonor! LADY JOHN (_harassed_). Yes. Unfortunately we had one or two people already asked for the week-end---- FARN. And I go and invite myself to luncheon! Lady John, you can buy me off. I'll promise to remove myself in five minutes if you'll---- LADY JOHN. No, the penalty is you shall stay and keep the others amused between church and luncheon, and so leave me free. (_Takes up the plan._) Only _remember_---- FARN. Wild horses won't get a hint out of me! I only mentioned it to you because--since we've come back to live in this part of the world you've been so awfully kind--I thought, I hoped maybe you--you'd put in a word for me. LADY JOHN. With----? FARN. With your nephew that is to be. Though I'm _not_ the slavish satellite people make out, you can't doubt---- LADY JOHN. Oh, I don't doubt. But you know Mr. Stonor inspires a similar enthusiasm in a good many young---- FARN. They haven't studied the situation as I have. They don't know what's at stake. They don't go to that hole Dutfield as I did just to hear his Friday speech.