'That's all nonsense to us, Colonel Osborne. Ladies always like
political jobs, and think that they and they only make politics
bearable. But this would not be a job at all. Papa could do it
better than anybody else. Think how long he has been at it!'

The matter in discussion was the chance of an order being sent
out to Sir Marmaduke to come home from his islands at the public
expense, to give evidence, respecting colonial government in general,
to a committee of the House of Commons which was about to sit on
the subject. The committee had been voted, and two governors were
to be brought home for the purpose of giving evidence. What arrangement
could be so pleasant to a governor living in the Mandarin Islands,
who had had a holiday lately, and who could but ill afford to
take any holidays at his own expense? Colonel Osborne was on this
committee, and, moreover, was on good terms at the Colonial Office.
There were men in office who would be glad to do Colonel Osborne
a service, and then if this were a job, it would be so very little
of a job! Perhaps Sir Marmaduke might not be the very best man for
the purpose. Perhaps the government of the Mandarins did not afford
the best specimen of that colonial lore which it was the business
of the committee to master. But then two governors were to come,
and it might be as well to have one of the best sort, and one of
the second best. No one supposed that excellent old Sir Marmaduke
was a paragon of a governor, but then he had an infinity of experience!
For over twenty years he had been from island to island, and had
at least steered clear of great scrapes.

'We'll try it, at any rate,' said the Colonel.