g angry about it. What I want is a Party that won't deal in it.
I've always believed that the mob likes an honest man, even if it does
call him a Prig, and I'm perfectly certain that when a Prig gets let
down by the mob it's because in some subconscious way it knows he's only
pretending to be honest ... unless, of course, it's gone off its head
with passion of some sort: Boer war jingoism and that kind of thing. And
my notion of a member of parliament is a man who represents some degree
of general feeling. If he doesn't represent that general feeling he can
only do one of two things: try to convert the general opinion to his
point of view or else, if he can't convert it, tell it he'll be damned
if he'll represent it any longer. That's the attitude I shall adopt in
the House!..."

But Gilbert thought that this was a dangerous attitude to maintain.

"If you maintain it too long, you'll never get an office," he said, "and
so the only work you'll be able to do will be critical work: you'll
never get a chance to do anything constructive; and if you let the
Government nobble you, and give you an Under Secretaryship the moment
they see you getting dangerous, then you're done for. And anyhow, I
don't believe in independent members of parliament. A certain number of
sheep are necessary in every organisation, in parliament as much as
anywhere else. It would be absolutely impossible to carry on Government
if the whole six hundred and seventy members of parliament were as
clever and as independent as Lord Hugh Cecil. You must have sheep and
lots of 'em!..."

"But they needn't be dead sheep," said Roger. "They needn't be mutton,
need they?"

"No, they needn't be mutton, but they must be sheep," Gilbert replied.

"All the politicians I've ever met," said Ninian, "were like New Zealand
lamb ... frozen!"

Gilbert leaped on him and slapped his back, capsizing him on to the
floor. "Ninian, my son," he said, "that's a good line. Do you mind if I
put it in my comedy. It doesn't matter whether you do or not, but I'd
like your consent."

"Don't be an old ass," said Ninian.

"Can I use that line about the New Zealand lamb?..."

"Yes, yes ... any damn thing ... only get off my chest! You're ...
you're squeezing the inside out of me. Get up, will you!..."

"I'm really quite comfortable, thanks, Ninian. If it weren't for this
whacking big bone here!..."

He did not complete the sentence, for Ninian, with a heaving effort,
threw him