“But you apologized; and promised the statistics for next day. Why didn’t you keep your promise.”
“The matter was not of sufficient consequence. The time was gone by to produce an effect with them.”
“But I hear that other friends of the Soldiers’ Pension Bill desire them very much. I think you ought to let them have them.”
“Miss Hawkins, this silly blunder of my copyist evidently has more interest for you than it has for me. I will send my private secretary to you and let him discuss the subject with you at length.”
“Did he copy your speech for you?”
“Of course he did. Why all these questions? Tell me—how did you get hold of that page of manuscript? That is the only thing that stirs a passing interest in my mind.”
“I’m coming to that.” Then she said, much as if she were talking to herself: “It does seem like taking a deal of unnecessary pains, for a body to hire another body to construct a great speech for him and then go and get still another body to copy it before it can be read in the House.”
“Miss Hawkins, what do you mean by such talk as that?”
“Why I am sure I mean no harm—no harm to anybody in the world. I am certain that I overheard the Hon. Mr. Buckstone either promise to write your great speech for you or else get some other competent person to do it.”
“This is perfectly absurd, madam, perfectly absurd!” and Mr. Trollop affected a laugh of derision.