He had evidently prepared his speech carefully, it was bristling with innuendoes; sneering side-hits at strange sins.

Everyone looked at his fellow and thought the speech the height of bad taste.
"Mediocrity always detests ability, and loathes genius; Curzon wanted to prove to himself that at any rate in the moralities he was my superior.
"When he sat down I had to answer him.

That was the programme.

Of course I had not prepared a speech, had not thought about Curzon, or what he might say, but I got up, Frank, and told the kindliest truth about him, and everyone took it for the bitterest sarcasm, and cheered and cheered me, though what I said was merely the truth.

I told how difficult it was for Curzon to work and study at Oxford.