CHAPTER XI 

BORROWDEAN SHOWS HIS "HAND" 

"To be plain with you," Borrowdean remarked, "Mannering's defection would be irremediable. He alone unites Redford, myself, and--well, to put it crudely, let us say the Imperialistic Liberal Party with Manningham and the old-fashioned Whigs who prefer the ruts. There is no other leader possible. Redford and I talked till daylight this morning. Now, can nothing be done with Mannering?" 

"To be plain with you, too, then, Sir Leslie," Berenice answered, "I do not think that anything can be done with him. In his present frame of mind I should say that he is better left alone. He has worked himself up into a thoroughly sentimental and nervous state. For the moment he has lost his sense of balance." 

Borrowdean nodded. 

"Desperate necessity," he said, "sometimes justifies desperate measures. We need Mannering, the country and our cause need him. If argument will not prevail there is one last alternative left to us. It may not be such an alternative as we should choose, but beggars must not be choosers. I think that you will know what I mean." 

"I have no idea," Berenice answered. 

"You are aware," he continued, "that there is in Mannering's past history an episode, the publication of which would entail somewhat serious consequences to him." 

"Well?" 

It was a most eloquent monosyllable, but Borrowdean had gone too far to retreat. 

"I propose that we make use of it," he said. "Mannering's attitude is rankly foolish, or I would not suggest such a thing. But I hold that we are entitled, under the circumstances, to make use of any means whatever to bring him to his senses."  QUESTIONS:

Q1:
1. What is the chapter at hand?
2. Which chapter is being presented?
3. What number of chapter is this?
Q2:
1. Who will show his hand?
2. Who is going to reveal what he's got?
3. Who is going to make a revelation?
Q3:
1. What would Mannering's deflection be like?
2. In what manner would Mannering deflect?
3. What would it be like if Mannering were to deflect??
Q4:
1. Who does Mannering along unite?
2. Who is Mannering along in uniting?
3. Who does Mannering bring together all on his own?
Q5:
1. Who doesn't know at all?
2. Who pleads total ignorance?
3. Who claims to have zero knowledge?
Q6:
1. Who is Berenice plain with?
2. Who does Berenice say he'll be plain with?
3. Who does Berenice speak plainly with?
Q7:
1. Does Berenice think that anything can be done with Mannering?
2. In the opinion of Berenice, is there anything to be done with Mannering?
3. Does Berenice feel that any action can be taken with respect to Mannering?
Q8:
1. Why would Mannering be better left alone?
2. For what reason would it be best to just leave Mannering alone?
3. Why would it be preferable to leave Mannering to his own devices?
Q9:
1. Did Mannering retain his sense of balance?
2. Did Mannering keep his sense of balance about him?
3. Is a sense of balance something that Mannering was still in possession of?
Q10:
1. How many leaders are possible, besides Mannering?
2. What other leaders are an option, if not Mannering?
3. What are the other leaders that could work, in the absence of Mannering?
Q11:
1. Are the Whigs a modern political party?
2. Do the Whigs act in an especially modern fashion?
3. Are members of the Whig party known for their modernity?
Q12:
1. Is Mannering attempting to conceal some shadowy parts of his past?
2. Are there dark aspects of Mannering's past that he would prefer not get out?
3. Would Mannering prefer that some parts of his past remain hidden?
Q13:
1. Who advanced too much to be able to retreat?
2. Who could not retreat because they had gone too far?
3. Who was too far along to be able to go back?
Q14:
1. What kind of attitude does Mannering have?
2. How is Mannering acting?
3. How is Mannering's attitude?
Q15:
1. Is BORROWDEAN in favor of blackmailing Mannering?
2. Does Borrowdean think it ethically permissible to blackmail Mannering?
3. Is blackmailing Mannering something that BORROWDEAN is ok doing?
Q16:
1. What are desperate measures sometimes justified by?
2. What can sometimes be used as a justification for desperate measures?
3. What can one use from time to time to explain away desperate measures?
Q17:
1. What can one not be at the same time as a beggar?
2. If you're a beggar, what can you not also be?
3. Beggars must not also be what?
Q18:
1. Is the country in need of Mannering?
2. Is Mannering necessary for the country?
3. Can the country not go without Mannering?
Q19:
1. Is Mannering necessary to our cause?
2. Does our cause need Mannering?
3. Is it impossible to advance our cause without Mannering?
