Mr. Tadpole, with some ceremony, took a memorandum-book out of his pocket, amid the smiles and the faint well-bred merriment of his friends.
‘Tadpole is nothing without his book,’ whispered Lord Fitz-Booby.
‘It is here,’ said Mr. Tadpole, emphatically patting his volume, ‘a clear working majority of twenty-two.’
‘Near sailing that!’ cried the Duke.
‘A far better majority than the present Government have,’ said Mr. Tadpole.
‘There is nothing like a good small majority,’ said Mr. Taper, ‘and a good registration.’
‘Ay! register, register, register!’ said the Duke. ‘Those were immortal words.’
‘I can tell your Grace three far better ones,’ said Mr. Tadpole, with a self-complacent air. ‘Object, object, object!’
‘You may register, and you may object,’ said Mr. Rigby, ‘but you will never get rid of Schedule A and Schedule B.’
‘But who could have supposed two years ago that affairs would be in their present position?’ said Mr. Taper, deferentially.