Bernard
Before you go home for the holidays, Minister
Sir Humphrey has something to say to you.
Minister, just one thing.
I wonder if I might crave your momentary indulgence
in order to discharge a by no means disagreeable obligation
which has over the years become more or less established practice
within government circles as we approach the terminal period of the year,
calendar of course not financial, in fact, not to put too fine a point on it, week 51,
and submit to you with all appropriate deference for your consideration at a convenient juncture
the sincere and sanguine expectation, indeed confidence,
indeed one might go so far as to say hope, that the aforementioned period may be,
at the end of the day, when all relevant factors have been taken into consideration,
susceptible of being deemed to be such as to merit a final verdict of having been
by no means unsatisfactory in its overall outcome and,
in the final analysis, to be grounds for being judged,
on mature reflection, to have been conducive to generating a degree of gratification
which will be seen in retrospect to have been significantly higher than the general average.
What is he talking about, Bernard?
Well, Minister. I think
Sir, Humphrey just wanted to crave your momentary indulgence
in order to discharge a by no means
All right, Bernard.
But, Humphrey...
At the end of the day, Minister...
Are you saying Happy Christmas?
Yes, Minister.