Trebell. Please wait.
Amy. Thank you.
Trebell shuts her in, for a moment seems inclined to lock her in, but he comes back into his own room and faces Cantelupe, who having primed and trained himself on his subject like a gun, fires off a speech, without haste, but also apparently without taking breath.
Cantelupe. I was extremely thankful, Mr. Trebell, to hear last week from Horsham that you will see your way to join his cabinet and undertake the disestablishment bill in the House of Commons. Any measure of mine, I have always been convinced, would be too much under the suspicion of blindly favouring Church interests to command the allegiance of that heterogeneous mass of thought ... in some cases, alas, of free thought ... which now-a-days composes the Conservative party. I am more than content to exercise what influence I may from a seat in the cabinet which will authorise the bill.
Trebell. Yes. That chair's comfortable.
Cantelupe takes another.
Cantelupe. Horsham forwarded to me your memorandum upon the conditions you held necessary and I incline to think I may accept them in principle on behalf of those who honour me with their confidences.
He fishes some papers from his pocket. Trebell sits squarely at his table to grapple with the matter.
Trebell. Horsham told me you did accept them ... it's on that I'm joining.
Cantelupe. Yes ... in principle.