It was whispered that the members of the Party had no use for Mr. Wilkinson, and very little for one another; but it doesn’t do to give ear to everything that is whispered.
Then Mr. Brimby appeared suddenly to recollect something.
“Ah yes!... Action. Speaking of action, I suppose you’ve seen this Indian affair in to-night’s papers?”
Mr. Wilkinson was still fuming.
“That Governor? Yes, I saw it.... But it’s too far away. Thousands of miles too far away. We want something nearer home. A paper that calls a spade a spade for one thing.... Anybody heard from Pratt this week?”
They discussed Cosimo’s latest letter, and then Mr. Brimby said, “By the way—how will this affect him?”
“How will what affect him?”
“This news, to-night. Collins.”
“Oh!... Why should it affect him at all? Don’t see why it should. The ‘Pall Mall’ has a filthy article on it to-night. That paper’s getting as bad as the ‘Times.’”
Here Walter Wyron intervened.—“By the way, who is this man Collins? Just pass me ‘Who’s Who,’ Laura.”