“I shall summon angelic forces to take over some of the more troublesome personalities of our public life, and I shall send the ousted originals into temporary retirement in suitable animal organisms. It’s not everyone who would have the knowledge or the power necessary to bring such a thing off⁠—”

“Oh, stop that inane rubbish,” said Belturbet angrily; “it’s getting wearisome. Here’s Quinston coming,” he added, as there approached along the almost deserted path the well-known figure of a young Cabinet minister, whose personality evoked a curious mixture of public interest and unpopularity.

“Hurry along, my dear man,” said the young duke to the minister, who had given him a condescending nod; “your time is running short,” he continued in a provocative strain; “the whole inept crowd of you will shortly be swept away into the world’s wastepaper basket.”