"Splendid!"
"It's the end, I suppose?"
"Absolutely! That is why I telephoned for you. Horlock is quite resigned. I understand that they will send for me, but I wish to tell you, Miller, as I have just told Tallente, that I have finally made up my mind that it would not be in the best interests of our party for me to attempt to form a Ministry myself. I am therefore passing the task on to Tallente. Here is a list of what we propose."
Miller clenched the sheet of paper in his hand without glancing at it.
His tone was bellicose.
"Do I understand that Tallente is to be Prime Minister?"
"Certainly! You see I have put you down for the Home Office, Sargent as
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Saunderson—"
"I don't want to hear any more," Miller interrupted. "It's time we had this out. I object to Tallente being placed at the head of the party."
"And why?" Dartrey asked coldly.
"Because he is a newcomer and has done nothing to earn such a position," Miller declared; "because he has come to us as an opportunist, because there are others who have served the cause of the people for all the years of their life, who have a better claim; and because at heart, mind you, Dartrey, he isn't a people's man."
"What do you mean by saying that I am not a people's man?" Tallente demanded.