HORSHAM. Oh ... how do you do? Let me see ... do you know my cousin Charles Cantelupe? Yes ... we were expecting Russell Blackborough. Sir Henry Percival is ill. Do sit down. O'CONNELL _takes the nearest chair and gradually the others settle themselves_; FARRANT _seeking an obscure corner. But there follows an uncomfortable silence, which_ O'CONNELL _at last breaks._ O'CONNELL. You have sent for me, Lord Horsham? HORSHAM. I hope that by my message I conveyed no impression of sending for you. O'CONNELL. I am always in some doubt as to by what person or persons in or out of power this country is governed. But from all I hear you are at the present moment approximately entitled to send for me. _The level music of his Irish tongue seems to give finer edge to his sarcasm._ HORSHAM. Well, Mr. O'Connell ... you know our request before we make it. O'CONNELL. Yes, I understand that if the fact of Mr. Trebell's adultery with my wife were made as public as its consequences to her must be to-morrow, public opinion would make it difficult for you to include him in your cabinet. HORSHAM. Therefore we ask you ... though we have no right to ask you ... to consider the particular circumstances and forget the man in the statesman, Mr. O'Connell. O'CONNELL. My wife is dead. What have I to do at all with Mr. Trebell as a man? As a statesman I am in any case uninterested in him. _Upon this throwing of cold water_, EDMUNDS _returns to mention even more discreetly...._ EDMUNDS. Mr. Blackborough is in the library, my lord. HORSHAM. [_Patiently impatient._] No, no ... here. WEDGECROFT. Let me go. HORSHAM. [_To the injured_ EDMUNDS.] Wait ... wait. WEDGECROFT. I'll put him _au fait._ I shan't come back. HORSHAM. [_Gratefully._] Yes, yes. [_Then to_ EDMUNDS _who is waiting with perfect dignity._] Yes ... yes ... yes. EDMUNDS _departs and_ WEDGECROFT _makes for the library door, glad to escape._ O'CONNELL. If you are not busy at this hour, Wedgecroft, I should be grateful if you'd wait for me. I shall keep you, I think, but a very few minutes. WEDGECROFT. [_In his most matter-of-fact tone._] All right, O'Connell. _He goes into the library._ CANTELUPE. Don't you think, Cyril, it would be wiser to prevent your man coming into the room at all while we're discussing this? HORSHAM. [_Collecting his scattered tact._] Yes, I thought I had arranged that he shouldn't. I'm very sorry. He's a fool. However, there's no one else to come. Once more, Mr. O'Connell.... [_He frames no sentence._] O'CONNELL. I am all attention, Lord Horsham. CANTELUPE _with a self-denying effort has risen to his feet._