wedgecroft. Not very.
trebell. Is he going to die?
wedgecroft. Well, I'm attending him.
trebell. [Pinked.] Yes . . that's a good answer. How does he stomach me in prospect as a colleague, so far?
wedgecroft. Sir, professional etiquette forbids me to disclose what a patient may confess in the sweat of his agony.
trebell. He'll be Chancellor again and lead the House.
wedgecroft. Why not? He only grumbles that he's getting old.
trebell. [Thinking busily again.] The difficulty is I shall have to stay through one budget with them. He'll have a surplus . . well, it looks like it . . and my only way of agreeing with him will be to collar it.
wedgecroft. But . . good heavens! . . you'll have a hundred million or so to give away when you've disendowed.
trebell. Not to give away. I'll sell every penny.