First W. I. M. Why, whatever it happens to be, the Behring Sea, or anything else. We're so deuced afraid of everybody now, we never show fight; it's perfectly sickening. But of course you can't expect anything else from old Gladstone.
Second W. I. M. That's right—shove it all on to old Gladstone. But you're wrong this time. It was Jo Chamberlain, one of your own blessed Unionists, that you're so proud of, who arranged this arbitration.
First W. I. M. I know that, my dear boy; but Chamberlain was a Radical then; so where are you now?[A pause.
Inquirer (who has continued his reading, suddenly, with a puzzled air). I say, you know, this is too much of a good thing, bringing the Russians into the business. It says—(reads)—"documents were submitted, on behalf of the United States, to prove that Russia had never abandoned her sovereign rights in the manner suggested by Great Britain." How, on earth, does Russia manage to crop up everywhere? And where is this confounded Behring Sea?
Second W. I. M. (vaguely). It's somewhere in America, or Newfoundland, or thereabouts.
Inquirer. But how about Russia?
Second W. I. M. Oh, Russia shoves her oar in whenever we get into a difficulty of any kind anywhere.
Inquirer (persisting). Yes—but how can she have any "sovereign rights" in America?
Second W. I. M. (haughtily, but evasively). My dear fellow, if you had followed the thing properly, you wouldn't ask the question. There's no time now to explain it all to you, as it's very complicated, and goes back a long way. But you may take it from me that Russia has got certain rights, and that she means to make things as disagreeable for us as she can.[A pause.
Inquirer. It's rather a rum start, isn't it? sending out Sir Charles Russell and Sir Richard Webster. They're on opposite sides of politics.