"No, I'm not," said the Prime Minister kindly.
"You don't mean to say you're not going to do it?" said Fitzgerald.
"Of course we are, but not before the House meets. It would bind us. It can't be done," he said.
"You mean 't'd look like reversing the judgment by statute?"
"Charlie," said the other, somewhat gravely, "you're too old to ask 'why.'" He smiled at him a little quizzically.
"Then when you mean to do it?" said Fitzgerald.
"Oh, I really don't know."
The Prime Minister had occasion to go out, and they went out together, but Charlie, when he left him a few moments later, was feeling a good many things. He was feeling that he had weakened his own position in one house at least, and that he had done it for nothing; and he determined that a lowering of position like that could not be tolerated. He easily saw the way to repair it. He would begin to put on the screw.
To Mr. Clutterbuck that evening he simply said the Prime Minister had been most delightful and had met him halfway, and had taken the whole thing for granted, but said of course there must be a little delay.
"Of course," said Mr. Clutterbuck, "of course." In this intimacy he talked about the matter quite frankly. "I quite understand; there's a whole fortnight."