"I was hoping you'd take on the job of telling these fellows off."
Mr. Sandbach, his bull-dog jaw sticking out, the short black hair on his scalp appearing to rise, barked:
"Hullo, Waterslop! Enjoying your plunder?"
Mr. Waterhouse, tall, slouching and untidy-haired, lifted the flaps of his coat. It was so ragged that it appeared as if straws stuck out of the elbows.
"All that the suffragettes have left of me," he said, laughingly. "Isn't one of you fellows a genius called Tietjens?" He was looking at Macmaster. The General said:
"Tietjens . . . Macmaster . . ." The Minister went on very friendly:
"Oh, it's you? . . . I just wanted to take the opportunity of thanking you."
Tietjens said:
"Good God! What for?"
"You know!" the Minister said, "we couldn't have got the Bill before the House till next session without your figures. . . ." He said slily: "Could we, Sandbach?" and added to Tietjens: "Ingleby told me. . . ."