horsham. [A little grimly.] Punish us all he can.
On reaching the second voice in the fugue cantelupe's virtuosity breaks down.
cantelupe. All that ability turned to destructiveness . . what a pity! That's the paradox of human activities . .
Suddenly horsham looks up and his face is lighted with a seraphic smile.
horsham. Charles . . I wish we could do without Blackborough.
cantelupe. [Struck with the idea.] Well . . why not?
horsham. Yes . . I must think about it. [They both get up, cheered considerably.] You won't forget this, will you?
cantelupe. [The letter in horsham's hand accusing him.] No . . no. I don't think I have been the cause of your dropping Trebell, have I?
horsham, rid of the letter, is rid of responsibility and his charming equable self again. He comforts his cousin paternally.
horsham. I don't think so. The split would have come when Blackborough checkmated my forming a cabinet. It would have pleased him to do that . . and he could have, over Trebell. But now that question's out of the way . . you won't get such a bad measure with Trebell in opposition. He'll frighten us into keeping it up to the mark, so to speak.