JOHN [losing his head]. What's that?

VENABLES. Yes, we agree.

JOHN. But--but--why, you have been threatening to excommunicate me if
I dared.

VENABLES. All done to test you, Shand.

JOHN. To test me?

VENABLES. We know that a division on your Bill can have no serious
significance; we shall see to that. And so the test was to be whether
you had the pluck to divide the House. Had you been intending to talk
big in this speech, and then hedge, through fear of the Government,
they would have had no further use for you.

JOHN [heavily]. I understand. [But there is one thing he cannot
understand, which is, why VENABLES should be so sure that he is not
to hedge.]

VENABLES [turning over the pages carelessly]. Any of your good things
in this, Shand?

JOHN [whose one desire is to get the pages back]. No, I--no--it isn't
necessary you should read it now.

VENABLES [from politeness only]. Merely for my own pleasure. I shall
look through it this evening. [He rolls up the speech to put it in
his pocket. JOHN turns despairingly to MAGGIE, though well aware that