He began with the general political programme of the party to which--on its extreme left wing--he proclaimed himself to belong.

This programme was, of course, by now a newspaper commonplace of the stalest sort.

He himself recited it without enthusiasm, and it was received without a spark, so far as appeared, of interest or agreement.

The minister gave an "hear, hear," of a loud official sort; the men made no sign.
"They might be a set of Dutch cheeses!" thought Marcella, indignantly, after a while.

"But, after all, why should they care for all this?
I shall have to get up in a minute and stop those children romping." But through all this, as it were, Wharton was only waiting for his second wind.