It is only a bit of pleasantry.

When I overheard that conversation I took an early opportunity to ask Mr.Buckstone if he knew of anybody who might want a speech written--I had a friend, and so forth and so on.

I was the friend, myself; I thought I might do you a good turn then and depend on you to do me one by and by.

I never let Mr.
Buckstone have the speech till the last moment, and when you hurried off to the House with it, you did not know there was a missing page, of course, but I did.
"And now perhaps you think that if I refuse to support your bill, you will make a grand exposure ?" "Well I had not thought of that.

I only kept back the page for the mere fun of the thing; but since you mention it, I don't know but I might do something if I were angry." "My dear Miss Hawkins, if you were to give out that you composed my speech, you know very well that people would say it was only your raillery, your fondness for putting a victim in the pillory and amusing the public at his expense.