At this point Marbury came into the room. Peter was bringing Lady Mary her sausage with the grave intentness of someone specially elected.
"Hullo, Mary. Hullo, Peter. You seem to be eating well."
"Yes," said Lady Mary. "This is my third sausage."
"What does Peter say?"
"I've at last met someone who takes breakfast seriously."
"I take everything seriously," said Peter, returning into gloom.
"You needn't be so unhappy about it," said Marbury. "One good thing about an election is that it makes one realise the importance of being earnest. Even the local paper becomes an immensely serious thing."
Marbury settled to his breakfast, shook out the Highbury Gazette, and was absorbed. Soon he was smiling.
"What is it, Tony?" asked Lady Mary, eating an apple.
"Listen to this," said Marbury. "It's one of Jordan's speeches."