‘No,’ said Lord Fitz-booby, ‘I am never for retracing our steps.’
‘But will you advance, will you move? And where will you advance, and how will you move?’ said Lady Everingham.
‘I think we have had quite enough of advancing,’ said his Lordship. ‘I had no idea your Ladyship was a member of the Movement party,’ he added, with a sarcastic grin.
‘But if it were bad, Lord Fitz-booby, to move where we are, as you and your friends have always maintained, how can you reconcile it to principle to remain there?’ said Lord Vere.
‘I would make the best of a bad bargain,’ said Lord Fitz-booby. ‘With a Conservative government, a reformed Constitution would be less dangerous.’
‘Why?’ said Lady Everingham. ‘What are your distinctive principles that render the peril less?’
‘I appeal to Lord Eskdale,’ said Lord Fitz-booby; ‘there is Lady Everingham turned quite a Radical, I declare. Is not your Lordship of opinion that the country must be safer with a Conservative government than with a Liberal?’
‘I think the country is always tolerably secure,’ said Lord Eskdale.
Lady Theresa, leaning on the arm of Mr. Lyle, came up at this moment, and unconsciously made a diversion in favour of Lord Fitz-booby.
‘Pray, Theresa,’ said Lady Everingham, ‘where is Mr. Coningsby?’