Dead silence reigned.
Peter puffed his cigar.
“You’ll go back on the party?” finally said one, in awe-struck tones.
“You’ll be a traitor?” cried another.
“I’d have believed anything but that you would be a dashed Mugwump!” groaned the third.
Peter puffed his cigar.
“Say you are fooling?” begged Number Seven.
“No,” said Peter, “Nor am I more a traitor to my party than you. You insist on supporting the Labor candidate and I shall support the Republican candidate. We are both breaking our party.”
“We’ll win,” said Number One.
Peter puffed his cigar.