"That the lot, Bernard?" "Before you go home for the holidays, minster," "Sir Humphrey has something to say to you." "Ah, thank you, Bernard." "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," "Counting, 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," "A 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 give 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's he talking about?" "Well, minister, I think sir Humphrey" "Just wanted to crave your momentary indulgence" "In order to discharge a by no means disagreeable obligation" "All right, all right, Bernard." "But, Humphrey" "At the end of the day, minister, all things being" " Just a" " Yes, minister?" "Are you saying happy christmas?" "Yes, minister."