THE TURNCOAT 293 



a tottering administration to escape disaster by 

 the narrow margin of a single vote. 



My uncle's subsequent acceptance of the 

 Chiltern Hundreds, and his resignation from the 

 Carlton Club, were but the natural consequences 

 of conduct which at the time seemed unpardon- 

 able to all who had the welfare of the country 

 at heart. And although, when he delivered up 

 the insignia of his office as Knight Harbinger of 

 the Primrose League to the President of that 

 organization, Sir Theodore made a half-hearted 

 attempt to explain his behaviour, his voice was 

 so choked by emotion as to render any excuses 

 unintelligible. 



Barely two years have elapsed since that fatal 

 act of folly. Yet in this short period Uncle 

 Theodore has become a broken man, grey-haired 

 and prematurely aged, and in the Home of Rest 

 where he has wisely consented to spend the 

 evening of his days it is unlikely that he will ever 

 summon up courage to publish any lucid account 

 of the series of unhappy accidents that led to 

 his downfall and disgrace. I have, however, 

 obtained his permission to undertake the grateful 

 task of rehabilitating his character in the eyes of 

 the world, and hope to have no difficulty in prov- 

 ing that Sir Theodore was after all no political 

 renegade, but rather the unhappy victim of cruel 

 circumstances which he was powerless to control. 



