It was quite clear that the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Prime Minister also, looked at it in a very different light.

They doubted, and Alaric was well aware that their doubt was as good as certainty to him.
The truth was that the Prime Minister had said to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in a half-serious, half-jocular way, that he didn't see why he should reject a vote when offered to him by a member of the Civil Service.

The man must of course do his work--and should it be found that his office work and his seat in Parliament interfered with each other, why, he must take the consequences.

And if--or--or--made a row about it in the House and complained, why in that case also Mr.Tudor must take the consequences.

And then, enough having been said on that matter, the conversation dropped.
'I am not prepared to give a positive answer,' said the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who of course did not choose to commit himself.
Alaric assured the great man that he was not so unreasonable as to expect a positive answer.