Farn. With your nephew that is to be. Though I'm not the slavish satellite people make out, you can't doubt——
Lady John. Oh, I don't doubt. But you know Mr. Stonor inspires a similar enthusiasm in a good many young——
Farn. They haven't studied the situation as I have. They don't know what's at stake. They don't go to that hole Dutfield as I did just to hear his Friday speech.
Lady John. Ah! But you were rewarded. Jean—my niece—wrote me it was "glorious."
Farn. (judicially). Well, you know, I was disappointed. He's too content just to criticise, just to make his delicate pungent fun of the men who are grappling—very inadequately, of course—still grappling with the big questions. There's a carrying power (gets up and faces an imaginary audience)—some of Stonor's friends ought to point it out—there's a driving power in the poorest constructive policy that makes the most brilliant criticism look barren.
Lady John (with good-humoured malice). Who told you that?
Farn. You think there's nothing in it because I say it. But now that he's coming into the family, Lord John or somebody really ought to point out—Stonor's overdoing his rôle of magnificent security!
Lady John. I don't see even Lord John offering to instruct Mr. Stonor.
Farn. Believe me, that's just Stonor's danger! Nobody saying a word, everybody hoping he's on the point of adopting some definite line, something strong and original that's going to fire the public imagination and bring the Tories back into power.