" Only in a house of habitually inattentive men could any one talk such nonsense without reproof, but I look in vain through Hansard's record of this debate for a single contemptuous reference to Mr. Chamberlain's obtuseness.

He was indeed deplorably inattentive.

To others, touching upon the matter of superior forces they might have to contend with, he was loftily inattentive.

His listless, seemingly inattentive eyes somehow scanned everything, and he judged well what he witnessed.

"You must excuse me," he said suddenly, when I had repeated a question; "you must not think me willingly inattentive, but I was considering something importantvery important.