TREBELL. [_His thoughts running quickly._] There'll only be a nominal
majority of sixteen against them. The Labour lot are committed on their
side . . and now that the Irish have gone--
WEDGECROFT. But they'll be beaten on the Address first go.
TREBELL. Yes . . Horsham hasn't any doubt of it.
WEDGECROFT. He'll be in office within a week of the King's speech.
TREBELL. [_With another access of energy._] I'll pull the bill that's in
my head through a Horsham cabinet and the House. Then I'll leave them . .
they'll go to the country--
WEDGECROFT. You know Percival's pledge about that at Bristol wasn't very
definite.
TREBELL. Horsham means to.
WEDGECROFT. [_With friendly contempt._] Oh, Horsham!
TREBELL. Anyway, it's about Percival I want you. How ill is he?
WEDGECROFT. Not very.
TREBELL. Is he going to die?
WEDGECROFT. Well, I'm attending him.
TREBELL. [_Pinked._] Yes . . that's a good answer. How does he stomach
me in prospect as a colleague, so far?
WEDGECROFT. Sir, professional etiquette forbids me to disclose what a
patient may confess in the sweat of his agony.
TREBELL. He'll be Chancellor again and lead the House.
WEDGECROFT. Why not? He only grumbles that he's getting old.
TREBELL. [_Thinking busily again._] The difficulty is I shall have to
stay through one budget with them. He'll have a surplus . . well, it
looks like it . . and my only way of agreeing with him will be to collar
it.
WEDGECROFT. But . . good heavens! . . you'll have a hundred million or
so to give away when you've disendowed.
TREBELL. Not to give away. I'll sell every penny.
WEDGECROFT. [_With an incredulous grin._] You're not going back to
extending old-age pensions after turning the unfortunate Liberals out on
it, are you?
TREBELL. No, no . . none of your half crown measures. They can wait to
round off their solution of that till they've the courage to make one
big bite of it.
WEDGECROFT. We shan't see the day.
TREBELL. [_Lifting the subject off its feet._] Not if I come out of the
cabinet and preach revolution?
WEDGECROFT. Or will they make a Tory of you?
TREBELL. [_Acknowledging that stroke with a return grin._] It'll be said
they have when the bill is out.
WEDGECROFT. It's said so already.
TREBELL. Who knows a radical bill when he sees it!
WEDGECROFT. I'm not pleased you have to be running a tilt against the
party system. [_He becomes a little dubious._] My friend . . it's a
nasty windmill. Oh, you've not seen that article in the Nation on
Politics and Society . . it's written at Mrs. Farrant and Lady
Lurgashall and that set. They hint that the Tories would never have had
you if it hadn't been for this bad habit of opposite party men meeting
each other.
TREBELL. [_Unimpressed._] Excellent habit! What we really want in this
country is a coalition of all the shibboleths with the rest of us in
opposition . . for five years only.
WEDGECROFT. [_Smiling generously._] Well, it's a sensation to see you
become arbiter. The Tories are owning they can't do without you.
Percival likes you personally . . Townsend don't matter . . Cantelupe
you buy with a price, I suppose . . Farrant you can put in your pocket.
I tell you I think the man you may run up against is Blackborough.
TREBELL. No, all he wants is to be let look big . . and to have an idea
given him when he's going to make a speech, which isn't often.
WEDGECROFT. Otherwise . . I suppose . . now I may go down to history as
having been in your confidence. I'm very glad you've arrived.
TREBELL. [_With great seriousness._] I've sharpened myself as a weapon
to this purpose.
WEDGECROFT. [_Kindly._] And you're sure of yourself, aren't you?
TREBELL. [_Turning his wrist._] Try.
WEDGECROFT. [_Slipping his doctor's fingers over the pulse._]
Seventy, I should say.
TREBELL. I promise you it hasn't varied a beat these three big months.
WEDGECROFT. Well, I wish it had. Perfect balance is most easily lost.
How do you know you've the power of recovery? . . and it's that gets
one up in the morning day by day.
TREBELL. Is it? My brain works steadily on . . hasn't failed me yet. I
keep it well fed. [_He breathes deeply._] But I'm not sure one shouldn't
have been away from England for five years instead of five weeks . . to
come back to a job like this with a fresh mind. D'you know why really I
went back on the Liberals over this question? Not because they wanted
the church money for their pensions . . but because all they can see in
Disestablishment is destruction. Any fool can destroy! I'm not going to
let a power like the Church get loose from the State. A thirteen hundred
years' tradition of service . . and all they can think of is to cut it
adrift!
WEDGECROFT. I think the Church is moribund.
TREBELL. Oh, yes, of course you do . . you sentimental agnostic
anarchist. Nonsense! The supernatural's a bit blown upon . . till we
re-discover what it means. But it's not essential. Nor is the Christian
doctrine. Put a Jesuit in a corner and shut the door and he'll own that.
No . . the tradition of self-sacrifice and fellowship in service for its
own sake . . that's the spirit we've to capture and keep.
WEDGECROFT. [_Really struck._] A secular Church!
TREBELL. [_With reasoning in his tone._] Well . . why not? Listen here.
In drafting an act of Parliament one must alternately imagine oneself
God Almighty and the most ignorant prejudiced little blighter who will
be affected by what's passed. God says: Let's have done with Heaven and
Hell . . it's the Earth that shan't pass away. Why not turn all those
theology mongers into doctors or schoolmasters?