People looked at the
clock or began to grope for umbrellas and discarded neckwraps. Then, in
the midst of a string of meaningless platitudes, the Sheep delivered
himself of one of those blundering remarks which travel from one end of a
constituency to the other in half an hour, and are seized on by the other
side as being more potent on their behalf than a ton of election
literature. There was a general shuffling and muttering across the
length and breadth of the hall, and a few hisses made themselves heard.
The Sheep tried to whittle down his remark, and the chairman
unhesitatingly threw him over in his speech of thanks, but the damage was
done.
"I'm afraid I lost touch with the audience rather over that remark," said
the Sheep afterwards, with his apologetic smile abnormally developed.
"You lost us the election," said the chairman, and he proved a true
prophet.
A month or so of winter sport seemed a desirable pick-me-up after the
strenuous work and crowning discomfiture of the election. Rupert and
Kathleen hied them away to a small Alpine resort that was just coming
into prominence, and thither the Sheep followed them in due course, in
his role of husband-elect.
Pages:
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231