The Right Honourable John Augustus Horlock, Prime Minister of England through a most amazing fluke, received Tallente, a few days later, with the air of one desiring to show as much graciousness as possible to a discomfited follower.

He extended two fingers and indicated an uncomfortable chair.
"Well, well, Tallente," he said, "sorry I wasn't in town when you passed through from the north.

Bad business, that Hellesfield affair." "It was a very bad business indeed," Tallente agreed, "chiefly because it shows that our agents there must be utterly incapable." The Prime Minister coughed.
"You think so, Tallente, eh?
Now their point of view is that you let Miller make all the running, let him make his points and never got an answer in--never got a grip on the people, eh ?" "That may do for the official explanation," Tallente replied coldly, "but as a plain statement of facts it is entirely beside the mark.

If you will forgive my saying so, sir, it has been one of your characteristics in life, born, without doubt," he added, with a little bow, "of your indomitable courage, to minimise difficulties and dangers of a certain type.

You did not sympathise with me in my defeat at Hellesfield because you underrated, as you always have underrated, the vastly growing strength and dangerous popularity of the party into whose hands the government of this country will shortly pass." Mr.Horlock frowned portentously.