LADY UTTERWORD. As a Conservative or a Liberal?
MANGAN. No such nonsense. As a practical business man. [They all
burst out laughing]. What are you all laughing at?
MRS HUSHARYE. Oh, Alfred, Alfred!
ELLIE. You! who have to get my father to do everything for you!
MRS HUSHABYE. You! who are afraid of your own workmen!
HECTOR. You! with whom three women have been playing cat and
mouse all the evening!
LADY UTTERWORD. You must have given an immense sum to the party
funds, Mr Mangan.
MANGAN. Not a penny out of my own pocket. The syndicate found the
money: they knew how useful I should be to them in the
Government.
LADY UTTERWORD. This is most interesting and unexpected, Mr
Mangan. And what have your administrative achievements been, so
far?
MANGAN. Achievements? Well, I don't know what you call
achievements; but I've jolly well put a stop to the games of the
other fellows in the other departments. Every man of them thought
he was going to save the country all by himself, and do me out of
the credit and out of my chance of a title. I took good care that
if they wouldn't let me do it they shouldn't do it themselves
either. I may not know anything about my own machinery; but I
know how to stick a ramrod into the other fellow's. And now they
all look the biggest fools going.
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