Chapter 2
THE FAITHFUL COMMONSSomebody—was it Mr Gladstone?—placed it on record that there is
nothing quite so dangerous, quite so ferocious, quite so terrifying
as a mad sheep. Similarly, as we know, there is no person quite so
indiscreet, quite so foolishly talkative, quite so amazingly
gauche, as the diplomat who for some reason or other has run off
the rails.
There comes a moment to the man who has trained himself to guard
his tongue in the Councils of Nations, who has been schooled to
walk warily amongst pitfalls digged cunningly by friendly Powers,
when the practice and precept of many years are forgotten, and he
behaves humanly. Why this should be has never been discovered by
ordinary people, although the psychological minority who can
generally explain the mental proce
