,—
so
rich
that
he
could
throw
thousands
away
if
he
wished
it
;
but
for
him
and
his
career
was
needed
that
colossal
wealth
which
would
make
men
talk
about
it
,
—
which
would
necessitate
an
expansive
expenditure
,
reaching
far
and
wide
,
doing
nothing
,
or
less
than
nothing
,
for
his
own
personal
comfort
,
but
giving
to
him
at
once
that
rock-like
solidity
which
is
so
necessary
to
our
great
aristocratic
politicians
.
And
his
wife
was
,
as
far
as
he
knew
,
all
that
he
desired
.
He
had
not
dabbled
much
in
the
fountains
of
Venus
,
though
he
had
forgotten
himself
once
,
and
sinned
in
coveting
another
man
's
wife
.
But
his
sin
then
had
hardly
polluted
his
natural
character
,
and
his
desire
had
been
of
a
kind
which
was
almost
more
gratified
in
its
disappointment
than
it
would
have
been
in
its
fruition
.
On
the
morning
after
the
lady
had
frowned
on
him
he
had
told
himself
that
he
was
very
well
out
of
that
trouble
.
He
knew
that
it
would
never
be
for
him
to
hang
up
on
the
walls
of
a
temple
a
well-worn
lute
as
a
votive
offering
when
leaving
the
pursuits
of
love
.
Idoneus
puellis
he
never
could
have
been
.
So
he
married
Lady
Glencora
and
was
satisfied
.
The
story
of
Burgo
Fitzgerald
was
told
to
him
,
and
he
supposed
that
most
girls
had
some
such
story
to
tell
.
He
thought
little
about
it
,
and
by
no
means
understood
her
when
she
said
to
him
,
with
all
the
impressiveness
which
she
could
throw
into
the
words
,
"
You
must
know
that
I
have
really
loved
him
.
"
"
You
must
love
me
now
,
"
he
had
replied
with
a
smile
;
and
then
as
regarded
his
mind
,
the
thing
was
over
.
And
since
his
marriage
he
had
thought
that
things
matrimonial
had
gone
well
with
him
,
and
with
her
too
.
He
gave
her
almost
unlimited
power
of
enjoying
her
money
,
and
interfered
but
little
in
her
way
of
life
.
Sometimes
he
would
say
a
word
of
caution
to
her
with
reference
to
those
childish
ways
which
hardly
became
the
dull
dignity
of
his
position
;
and
his
words
then
would
have
in
them
something
of
unintentional
severity
,
—
whether
instigated
or
not
by
the
red-haired
Radical
Member
of
Parliament
,
I
will
not
pretend
to
say
;
—
but
on
the
whole
he
was
contented
and
loved
his
wife
,
as
he
thought
,
very
heartily
,
and
at
least
better
than
he
loved
any
one
else
.
One
cause
of
unhappiness
,
or
rather
one
doubt
as
to
his
entire
good
fortune
,
was
beginning
to
make
itself
felt
,
as
his
wife
had
to
her
sorrow
already
discovered
.
He
had
hoped
that
before
this
he
might
have
heard
that
she
would
give
him
a
child
.
But
the
days
were
young
yet
for
that
trouble
,
and
the
care
had
not
become
a
sorrow
.
But
this
judicious
arrangement
as
to
properties
,
this
well-ordered
alliance
between
families
,
had
not
perhaps
suited
her
as
well
as
it
had
suited
him
.
I
think
that
she
might
have
learned
to
forget
her
early
lover
,
or
to
look
back
upon
it
with
a
soft
melancholy
hardly
amounting
to
regret
,
had
her
new
lord
been
more
tender
in
his
ways
with
her
.
I
do
not
know
that
Lady
Glencora
's
heart
was
made
of
that
stern
stuff
which
refuses
to
change
its
impressions
;
but
it
was
a
heart
,
and
it
required
food
.
To
love
and
fondle
someone
,
—
to
be
loved
and
fondled
,
were
absolutely
necessary
to
her
happiness
.
She
wanted
the
little
daily
assurance
of
her
supremacy
in
the
man
's
feelings
,
the
constant
touch
of
love
,
half
accidental
half
contrived
,
the
passing
glance
of
the
eye
telling
perhaps
of
some
little
joke
understood
only
between
them
two
rather
than
of
love
,
the
softness
of
an
occasional
kiss
given
here
and
there
when
chance
might
bring
them
together
,
some
half-pretended
interest
in
her
little
doings
,
a
nod
,
a
wink
,
a
shake
of
the
head
,
or
even
a
pout
.
It
should
have
been
given
to
her
to
feed
upon
such
food
as
this
daily
,
and
then
she
would
have
forgotten
Burgo
Fitzgerald
.
But
Mr.
Palliser
understood
none
of
these
things
;
and
therefore
the
image
of
Burgo
Fitzgerald
in
all
his
beauty
was
ever
before
her
eyes
.
But
not
the
less
was
Mr.
Palliser
a
prosperous
man
,
as
to
the
success
of
whose
career
few
who
knew
him
had
much
doubt
.
It
might
be
written
in
the
book
of
his
destiny
that
he
would
have
to
pass
through
some
violent
domestic
trouble
,
some
ruin
in
the
hopes
of
his
home
,
of
a
nature
to
destroy
then
and
for
ever
the
worldly
prospects
of
other
men
.
But
he
was
one
who
would
pass
through
such
violence
,
should
it
come
upon
him
,
without
much
scathe
.
To
lose
his
influence
with
his
party
would
be
worse
to
him
than
to
lose
his
wife
,
and
public
disgrace
would
hit
him
harder
than
private
dishonour
.
And
the
present
was
the
very
moment
in
which
success
was
,
as
was
said
,
coming
to
him
.
He
had
already
held
laborious
office
under
the
Crown
,
but
had
never
sat
in
the
Cabinet
.
He
had
worked
much
harder
than
Cabinet
Ministers
generally
work
,
—
but
hitherto
had
worked
without
any
reward
that
was
worth
his
having
.
For
the
stipend
which
he
had
received
had
been
nothing
to
him
,
—
as
the
great
stipend
which
he
would
receive
,
if
his
hopes
were
true
,
would
also
be
nothing
to
him
.
To
have
ascendancy
over
other
men
,
to
be
known
by
his
countrymen
as
one
of
their
real
rulers
,
to
have
an
actual
and
acknowledged
voice
in
the
management
of
nations
,
—
those
were
the
rewards
for
which
he
looked
;
and
now
in
truth
it
seemed
as
though
they
were
coming
to
him
.
It
was
all
but
known
that
the
existing
Chancellor
of
the
Exchequer
would
separate
himself
from
the
Government
,
carrying
various
others
with
him
,
either
before
or
immediately
consequent
on
the
meeting
of
Parliament
;
—
and
it
was
all
but
known
,
also
,
that
Mr.
Palliser
would
fill
his
place
,
taking
that
high
office
at
once
,
although
he
had
never
hitherto
sat
in
that
august
assembly
which
men
call
the
Cabinet
.
He
could
thus
afford
to
put
up
with
the
small
everyday
calamity
of
having
a
wife
who
loved
another
man
better
than
she
loved
him
.
The
presence
of
the
Duke
of
St.
Bungay
at
Matching
was
assumed
to
be
a
sure
sign
of
Mr.
Palliser
's
coming
triumph
.
The
Duke
was
a
statesman
of
a
very
different
class
,
but
he
also
had
been
eminently
successful
as
an
aristocratic
pillar
of
the
British
Constitutional
Republic
.
He
was
a
minister
of
very
many
years
'
standing
,
being
as
used
to
cabinet
sittings
as
other
men
are
to
their
own
armchairs
;
but
he
had
never
been
a
hard-working
man
.
Though
a
constant
politician
,
he
had
ever
taken
politics
easy
whether
in
office
or
out
.
The
world
had
said
before
now
that
the
Duke
might
be
Premier
,
only
that
he
would
not
take
the
trouble
.
He
had
been
consulted
by
a
very
distinguished
person
,
—
so
the
papers
had
said
more
than
once
,
—
as
to
the
making
of
Prime
Ministers
.
His
voice
in
council
was
esteemed
to
be
very
great
.
He
was
regarded
as
a
strong
rock
of
support
to
the
liberal
cause
,
and
yet
nobody
ever
knew
what
he
did
;
nor
was
there
much
record
of
what
he
said
.
The
offices
which
he
held
,
or
had
held
,
were
generally
those
to
which
no
very
arduous
duties
were
attached
.
In
severe
debates
he
never
took
upon
himself
the
brunt
of
opposition
oratory
.
What
he
said
in
the
House
was
generally
short
and
pleasant
,
—
with
some
slight
,
drolling
,
undercurrent
of
uninjurious
satire
running
through
it
.
But
he
was
a
walking
miracle
of
the
wisdom
of
common
sense
.
He
never
lost
his
temper
.
He
never
made
mistakes
.
He
never
grew
either
hot
or
cold
in
a
cause
.
He
was
never
reckless
in
politics
,
and
never
cowardly
.
He
snubbed
no
man
,
and
took
snubbings
from
no
man
.
He
was
a
Knight
of
the
Garter
,
a
Lord
Lieutenant
of
his
county
,
and
at
sixty-two
had
his
digestion
unimpaired
and
his
estate
in
excellent
order
.
He
was
a
great
buyer
of
pictures
,
which
,
perhaps
,
he
did
not
understand
,
and
a
great
collector
of
books
which
certainly
he
never
read
.
All
the
world
respected
him
,
and
he
was
a
man
to
whom
the
respect
of
all
the
world
was
as
the
breath
of
his
nostrils
.
But
even
he
was
not
without
his
peacock
on
the
wall
,
his
skeleton
in
the
closet
,
his
thorn
in
his
side
;
though
the
peacock
did
not
scream
loud
,
the
skeleton
was
not
very
terrible
in
his
anatomical
arrangement
,
nor
was
the
thorn
likely
to
fester
to
a
gangrene
.
The
Duke
was
always
in
awe
about
his
wife
.
He
was
ever
uneasy
about
his
wife
,
but
it
must
not
be
supposed
that
he
feared
the
machinations
of
any
Burgo
Fitzgerald
as
being
destructive
of
his
domestic
comfort
.
The
Duchess
was
and
always
had
been
all
that
is
proper
.
Ladies
in
high
rank
,
when
gifted
with
excelling
beauty
,
have
often
been
made
the
marks
of
undeserved
calumny
;
—
but
no
breath
of
slander
had
ever
touched
her
name
.
I
doubt
if
any
man
alive
had
ever
had
the
courage
even
to
wink
at
her
since
the
Duke
had
first
called
her
his
own
.
Nor
was
she
a
spendthrift
,
or
a
gambler
.
She
was
not
fast
in
her
tastes
,
or
given
to
any
pursuit
that
was
objectionable
.
She
was
simply
a
fool
,
and
as
a
fool
was
ever
fearing
that
she
was
the
mark
of
ridicule
.
In
all
such
miseries
she
would
complain
sorrowfully
,
piteously
,
and
occasionally
very
angrily
,
to
her
dear
Duke
and
protector
;
till
sometimes
her
dear
Duke
did
not
quite
know
what
to
do
with
her
or
how
to
protect
her
.
It
did
not
suit
him
,
a
Knight
of
the
Garter
and
a
Duke
of
St.
Bungay
,
to
beg
mercy
for
that
poor
wife
of
his
from
such
a
one
as
Mrs.
Conway
Sparkes
;
nor
would
it
be
more
in
his
way
to
lodge
a
formal
complaint
against
that
lady
before
his
host
or
hostess
,
—
as
one
boy
at
school
may
sometimes
do
as
regards
another
.
"
If
you
do
n't
like
the
people
,
my
dear
,
we
will
go
away
,
"
he
said
to
her
late
on
that
evening
of
which
we
have
spoken
.
"
No
,
"
she
replied
,
"
I
do
not
wish
to
go
away
.
I
have
said
that
we
would
stay
till
December
,
and
Longroyston
wo
n't
be
ready
before
that
.
But
I
think
that
something
ought
to
be
done
to
silence
that
woman
.
"
And
the
accent
came
strong
upon
"
something
,
"
and
then
again
with
terrific
violence
upon
"
woman
.
"
The
Duke
did
not
know
how
to
silence
Mrs.
Conway
Sparkes
.
It
was
a
great
principle
of
his
life
never
to
be
angry
with
any
one
.
How
could
he
get
at
Mrs.
Conway
Sparkes
?
"
I
do
n't
think
she
is
worth
your
attention
,
"
said
the
husband
.
"
That
's
all
very
well
,
Duke
,
"
said
the
wife
,
"
and
perhaps
she
is
not
.
But
I
find
her
in
this
house
,
and
I
do
n't
like
to
be
laughed
at
.
I
think
Lady
Glencora
should
make
her
know
her
place
.
"
"
Lady
Glencora
is
very
young
,
my
dear
.
"
"
I
do
n't
know
about
being
so
very
young
,
"
said
the
Duchess
,
whose
ear
had
perhaps
caught
some
little
hint
of
poor
Lady
Glencora
's
almost
unintentional
mimicry
.
Now
as
appeals
of
this
kind
were
being
made
frequently
to
the
Duke
,
and
as
he
was
often
driven
to
say
some
word
,
of
which
he
himself
hardly
approved
,
to
some
one
in
protection
of
his
Duchess
,
he
was
aware
that
the
matter
was
an
annoyance
,
and
at
times
almost
wished
that
her
Grace
was
at
—
Longroyston
.
And
there
was
a
third
politician
staying
at
Matching
Priory
who
had
never
yet
risen
to
the
rank
of
a
statesman
,
but
who
had
his
hopes
.
This
was
Mr.
Bott
,
the
member
for
St.
Helens
,
whom
Lady
Glencora
had
described
as
a
man
who
stood
about
,
with
red
hair
,
—
and
perhaps
told
tales
of
her
to
her
husband
.
Mr.
Bott
was
a
person
who
certainly
had
had
some
success
in
life
and
who
had
won
it
for
himself
.
He
was
not
very
young
,
being
at
this
time
only
just
on
the
right
side
of
fifty
.
He
was
now
enjoying
his
second
session
in
Parliament
,
having
been
returned
as
a
pledged
disciple
of
the
Manchester
school
.
Nor
had
he
apparently
been
false
to
his
pledges
.
At
St.
Helens
he
was
still
held
to
be
a
good
man
and
true
.
But
they
who
sat
on
the
same
side
with
him
in
the
House
and
watched
his
political
manœuvres
,
knew
that
he
was
striving
hard
to
get
his
finger
into
the
public
pie
.
He
was
not
a
rich
man
,
though
he
had
made
calico
and
had
got
into
Parliament
.
And
though
he
claimed
to
be
a
thoroughgoing
Radical
,
he
was
a
man
who
liked
to
live
with
aristocrats
,
and
was
fond
of
listening
to
the
whispers
of
such
as
the
Duke
of
St.
Bungay
or
Mr.
Palliser
.
It
was
supposed
that
he
did
understand
something
of
finance
.
He
was
at
any
rate
great
in
figures
;
and
as
he
was
possessed
of
much
industry
,
and
was
obedient
withal
,
he
was
a
man
who
might
make
himself
useful
to
a
Chancellor
of
the
Exchequer
ambitious
of
changes
.
There
are
men
who
get
into
such
houses
as
Matching
Priory
and
whose
presence
there
is
a
mystery
to
many
;
—
as
to
whom
the
ladies
of
the
house
never
quite
understand
why
they
are
entertaining
such
a
guest
.
"
And
Mr.
Bott
is
coming
,
"
Mr.
Palliser
had
said
to
his
wife
.
"
Mr.
Bott
!
"
Lady
Glencora
had
answered
.
"
Goodness
me
!
who
is
Mr.
Bott
?
"
"
He
is
member
for
St.
Helens
,
"
said
Mr.
Palliser
.
"
A
very
serviceable
man
in
his
way
.
"
"
And
what
am
I
to
do
with
him
?
"
asked
Lady
Glencora
.
"
I
do
n't
know
that
you
can
do
anything
with
him
.
He
is
a
man
who
has
a
great
deal
of
business
,
and
I
dare
say
he
will
spend
most
of
his
time
in
the
library
.
"
So
Mr.
Bott
arrived
.
But
though
a
huge
pile
of
letters
and
papers
came
to
him
every
morning
by
post
,
he
unfortunately
did
not
seem
to
spend
much
of
his
time
in
the
library
.
Perhaps
he
had
not
found
the
clue
to
that
lost
apartment
.
Twice
he
went
out
shooting
,
but
as
on
the
first
day
he
shot
the
keeper
,
and
on
the
second
very
nearly
shot
the
Duke
,
he
gave
that
up
.
Hunting
he
declined
,
though
much
pressed
to
make
an
essay
in
that
art
by
Jeffrey
Palliser
.
He
seemed
to
spend
his
time
,
as
Lady
Glencora
said
,
in
standing
about
,
—
except
at
certain
times
when
he
was
closeted
with
Mr.
Palliser
,
and
when
,
it
may
be
presumed
,
he
made
himself
useful
.
On
such
days
he
would
be
seen
at
the
hour
of
lunch
with
fingers
much
stained
with
ink
,
and
it
was
generally
supposed
that
on
those
occasions
he
had
been
counting
up
taxes
and
calculating
the
effect
of
great
financial
changes
.
He
was
a
tall
,
wiry
,
strong
man
,
with
a
bald
head
and
bristly
red
beard
,
which
,
however
,
was
cut
off
from
his
upper
and
under
lip
.
This
was
unfortunate
,
as
had
he
hidden
his
mouth
he
would
not
have
been
in
so
marked
a
degree
an
ugly
man
.
His
upper
lip
was
very
long
,
and
his
mouth
was
mean
.
But
he
had
found
that
without
the
help
of
a
razor
to
these
parts
he
could
not
manage
his
soup
to
his
satisfaction
,
and
preferring
cleanliness
to
beauty
had
shaved
himself
accordingly
.
"
I
should
n't
dislike
Mr.
Bott
so
much
,
"
Lady
Glencora
said
to
her
husband
,
"
if
he
did
n't
rub
his
hands
and
smile
so
often
,
and
seem
to
be
going
to
say
something
when
he
really
is
not
going
to
say
anything
.
"
"
I
do
n't
think
you
need
trouble
yourself
about
him
,
my
dear
,
"
Mr.
Palliser
had
answered
.
"
But
when
he
looks
at
me
in
that
way
,
I
ca
n't
help
stopping
,
as
I
think
he
is
going
to
speak
;
and
then
he
always
says
,
'
Can
I
do
anything
for
you
,
Lady
Glen-cowrer
?
'
"
She
instantly
saw
that
her
husband
did
not
like
this
.
"
Do
n't
be
angry
with
me
,
dear
,
"
she
said
.
"
You
must
admit
that
he
is
rather
a
bore
.
"
"
I
am
not
at
all
angry
,
Glencora
,
"
said
the
husband
;
"
and
if
you
insist
upon
it
,
I
will
see
that
he
leaves
;
—
and
in
such
case
will
of
course
never
ask
him
again
.
But
that
might
be
prejudicial
to
me
,
as
he
is
a
man
whom
I
trust
in
politics
,
and
who
may
perhaps
be
serviceable
to
me
.
"
Of
course
Lady
Glencora
declared
that
Mr.
Bott
might
remain
as
long
as
he
and
her
husband
desired
,
and
of
course
she
mentioned
his
name
no
more
to
Mr.
Palliser
;
but
from
that
time
forth
she
regarded
Mr.
Bott
as
an
enemy
,
and
felt
also
that
Mr.
Bott
regarded
her
in
the
same
light
.
When
it
was
known
among
outside
politicians
that
the
Duke
of
St.
Bungay
was
staying
at
Matching
Priory
,
outside
politicians
became
more
sure
than
ever
that
Mr.
Palliser
would
be
the
new
Chancellor
of
the
Exchequer
.
The
old
minister
and
the
young
minister
were
of
course
arranging
matters
together
.
But
I
doubt
whether
Mr.
Palliser
and
the
Duke
ever
spoke
on
any
such
topic
during
the
entire
visit
.
Though
Mr.
Bott
was
occasionally
closeted
with
Mr.
Palliser
,
the
Duke
never
troubled
himself
with
such
closetings
.
He
went
out
shooting
—
on
his
pony
,
read
his
newspaper
,
wrote
his
notes
,
and
looked
with
the
eye
of
a
connoisseur
over
all
Mr.
Palliser
's
farming
apparatus
.
"
You
seem
to
have
a
good
man
,
I
should
say
,
"
said
the
Duke
.
"
What
!
Hubbings
?
Yes
;
—
he
was
a
legacy
from
my
uncle
when
he
gave
me
up
the
Priory
.
"
"
A
very
good
man
,
I
should
say
.
Of
course
he
wo
n't
make
it
pay
;
but
he
'll
make
it
look
as
though
it
did
;
—
which
is
the
next
best
thing
.
I
could
never
get
rent
out
of
land
that
I
farmed
myself
,
—
never
.
"
"
I
suppose
not
,
"
said
Mr.
Palliser
,
who
did
not
care
much
about
it
.
The
Duke
would
have
talked
to
him
by
the
hour
together
about
farming
had
Mr.
Palliser
been
so
minded
;
but
he
talked
to
him
very
little
about
politics
.
Nor
during
the
whole
time
of
his
stay
at
Matching
did
the
Duke
make
any
other
allusion
to
Mr.
Palliser
's
hopes
as
regarded
the
ministry
,
than
that
in
which
he
had
told
Lady
Glencora
at
the
dinner-table
that
her
husband
's
ambition
was
the
highest
by
which
any
man
could
be
moved
.
But
Mr.
Bott
was
sometimes
honoured
by
a
few
words
with
the
Duke
.
"
We
shall
muster
pretty
strong
,
your
Grace
,
"
Mr.
Bott
had
said
to
him
one
day
before
dinner
.
"
That
depends
on
how
the
changes
go
,
"
said
the
Duke
.
"
I
suppose
there
will
be
a
change
?
"
"
Oh
yes
;
there
'll
be
a
change
,
—
certainly
,
I
should
say
.
And
it
will
be
in
your
direction
.
"
"
And
in
Palliser
's
?
"
"
Yes
;
I
should
think
so
;
—
that
is
,
if
it
suits
him
.
By-the-by
,
Mr.
Bott
—
"
Then
there
was
a
little
whispered
communication
,
in
which
perhaps
Mr.
Bott
was
undertaking
some
commission
of
that
nature
which
Lady
Glencora
had
called
"
telling
.
"
CHAPTER
XXV
.
In
Which
Much
of
the
History
of
the
Pallisers
Is
Told
.
At
the
end
of
ten
days
Alice
found
herself
quite
comfortable
at
Matching
Priory
.
She
had
now
promised
to
remain
there
till
the
second
week
of
December
,
at
which
time
she
was
to
go
to
Vavasor
Hall
,
—
there
to
meet
her
father
and
Kate
.
The
Pallisers
were
to
pass
their
Christmas
with
the
Duke
of
Omnium
in
Barsetshire
.
"
We
always
are
to
do
that
,
"
said
Glencora
.
"
It
is
the
state
occasion
at
Gatherum
Castle
,
but
it
only
lasts
for
one
week
.
Then
we
go
somewhere
else
.
Oh
dear
!
"
"
Why
do
you
say
'
oh
dear
'
?
"
"
Because
—
;
I
do
n't
think
I
mean
to
tell
you
.
"
"
Then
I
'm
sure
I
wo
n't
ask
.
"
"
That
's
so
like
you
,
Alice
.
But
I
can
be
as
firm
as
you
,
and
I
'm
sure
I
wo
n't
tell
you
unless
you
do
ask
.
"
But
Alice
did
not
ask
,
and
it
was
not
long
before
Lady
Glencora
's
firmness
gave
way
.
But
,
as
I
have
said
,
Alice
had
become
quite
comfortable
at
Matching
Priory
.
Perhaps
she
was
already
growing
upwards
towards
the
light
.
At
any
rate
she
could
listen
with
pleasure
to
the
few
words
the
Duke
would
say
to
her
.
She
could
even
chat
a
little
to
the
Duchess
,
—
so
that
her
Grace
had
observed
to
Lady
Glencora
that
"
her
cousin
was
a
very
nice
person
,
—
a
very
nice
person
indeed
.
What
a
pity
it
was
that
she
had
been
so
ill-treated
by
that
gentleman
in
Oxfordshire
!
"
Lady
Glencora
had
to
explain
that
the
gentleman
lived
in
Cambridgeshire
,
and
that
he
,
at
any
rate
,
had
not
treated
anybody
ill.
"
Do
you
mean
that
she
—
jilted
him
?
"
said
the
Duchess
,
almost
whistling
,
and
opening
her
eyes
very
wide
.
"
Dear
me
,
I
'm
sorry
for
that
.
I
should
n't
have
thought
it
.
"
And
when
she
next
spoke
to
Alice
she
assumed
rather
a
severe
tone
of
emphasis
;
—
but
this
was
soon
abandoned
when
Alice
listened
to
her
with
complacency
.
Alice
also
had
learned
to
ride
,
—
or
rather
had
resumed
her
riding
,
which
for
years
had
been
abandoned
.
Jeffrey
Palliser
had
been
her
squire
,
and
she
had
become
intimate
with
him
so
as
to
learn
to
quarrel
with
him
and
to
like
him
,
—
to
such
an
extent
that
Lady
Glencora
had
laughingly
told
her
that
she
was
going
to
do
more
.
"
I
rather
think
not
,
"
said
Alice
.
"
But
what
has
thinking
to
do
with
it
?
Who
ever
thinks
about
it
?
"
"
I
do
n't
just
at
present
,
—
at
any
rate
.
"
"
Upon
my
word
it
would
be
very
nice
;
—
and
then
perhaps
some
day
you
'd
be
the
Duchess
.
"
"
Glencora
,
do
n't
talk
such
nonsense
.
"
"
Those
are
the
speculations
which
people
make
.
Only
I
should
spite
you
by
killing
myself
,
so
that
he
might
marry
again
.
"
"
How
can
you
say
such
horrid
things
?
"
"
I
think
I
shall
,
—
some
day
.
What
right
have
I
to
stand
in
his
way
?
He
spoke
to
me
the
other
day
about
Jeffrey
's
altered
position
,
and
I
knew
what
he
meant
;
—
or
rather
what
he
did
n't
mean
to
say
,
but
what
he
thought
.
But
I
sha
n't
kill
myself
.
"
"
I
should
think
not
.
"
"
I
only
know
one
other
way
,
"
said
Lady
Glencora
.
"
You
are
thinking
of
things
which
should
never
be
in
your
thoughts
,
"
said
Alice
vehemently
.
"
Have
you
no
trust
in
God
's
providence
?
Cannot
you
accept
what
has
been
done
for
you
?
"
Mr.
Bott
had
gone
away
,
much
to
Lady
Glencora
's
delight
,
but
had
unfortunately
come
back
again
.
On
his
return
Alice
heard
more
of
the
feud
between
the
Duchess
and
Mrs.
Conway
Sparkes
.
"
I
did
not
tell
you
,
"
said
Lady
Glencora
to
her
friend
;
—
"
I
did
not
tell
you
before
he
went
that
I
was
right
about
his
tale-bearing
.
"
"
And
did
he
bear
tales
?
"
"
Yes
;
I
did
get
the
scolding
,
and
I
know
very
well
that
it
came
through
him
,
though
Mr.
Palliser
did
not
say
so
.
But
he
told
me
that
the
Duchess
had
felt
herself
hurt
by
that
other
woman
's
way
of
talking
.
"
"
But
it
was
not
your
fault
.
"
"
No
;
that
's
what
I
said
.
It
was
he
who
desired
me
to
ask
Mrs.
Conway
Sparkes
to
come
here
.
I
did
n't
want
her
.
She
goes
everywhere
,
and
it
is
thought
a
catch
to
get
her
;
but
if
she
had
been
drowned
in
the
Red
Sea
I
should
n't
have
minded
.
When
I
told
him
that
,
he
said
it
was
nonsense
,
—
which
of
course
it
was
;
and
then
he
said
I
ought
to
make
her
hold
her
tongue
.
Of
course
I
said
I
could
n't
.
Mrs.
Conway
Sparkes
would
n't
care
for
me
.
If
she
quizzed
me
,
myself
,
I
told
him
that
I
could
take
care
of
myself
,
though
she
were
ten
times
Mrs.
Conway
Sparkes
,
and
had
written
finer
poetry
than
Tennyson
.
"
"
It
is
fine
;
—
some
of
it
,
"
said
Alice
.
"
Oh
,
I
dare
say
!
I
know
a
great
deal
of
it
by
heart
,
only
I
would
n't
give
her
the
pleasure
of
supposing
that
I
had
ever
thought
so
much
about
her
poetry
.
And
then
I
told
him
that
I
could
n't
take
care
of
the
Duchess
,
—
and
he
told
me
that
I
was
a
child
.
"
"
He
only
meant
that
in
love
.
"
"
I
am
a
child
;
I
know
that
.
Why
did
n't
he
marry
some
strong-minded
,
ferocious
woman
that
could
keep
his
house
in
order
,
and
frown
Mrs.
Sparkes
out
of
her
impudence
?
It
was
n't
my
fault
.
"
"
You
did
n't
tell
him
that
.
"
"
But
I
did
.
Then
he
kissed
me
,
and
said
it
was
all
right
,
and
told
me
that
I
should
grow
older
.
'
And
Mrs.
Sparkes
will
grow
more
impudent
,
'
I
said
,
'
and
the
Duchess
more
silly
.
'
And
after
that
I
went
away
.
Now
this
horrid
Mr.
Bott
has
come
back
again
,
and
only
that
it
would
be
mean
in
me
to
condescend
so
far
,
I
would
punish
him
.
He
grins
and
smiles
at
me
,
and
rubs
his
big
hands
more
than
ever
,
because
he
feels
that
he
has
behaved
badly
.
Is
it
not
horrid
to
have
to
live
in
the
house
with
such
people
?
"
"
I
do
n't
think
you
need
mind
him
much
.
"
"
Yes
;
but
I
am
the
mistress
here
,
and
am
told
that
I
am
to
entertain
the
people
.
Fancy
entertaining
the
Duchess
of
St.
Bungay
and
Mr.
Bott
!
"
Alice
had
now
become
so
intimate
with
Lady
Glencora
that
she
did
not
scruple
to
read
her
wise
lectures
,
—
telling
her
that
she
allowed
herself
to
think
too
much
of
little
things
,
—
and
too
much
also
of
some
big
things
.
"
As
regards
Mr.
Bott
,
"
said
Alice
,
"
I
think
you
should
bear
it
as
though
there
were
no
such
person
.
"
"
But
that
would
be
pretence
,
—
especially
to
you
.
"
"
No
;
it
would
not
be
pretence
;
it
would
be
the
reticence
which
all
women
should
practise
,
—
and
you
,
in
your
position
,
more
almost
than
any
other
woman
.
"
Then
Lady
Glencora
pouted
,
told
Alice
that
it
was
a
pity
she
had
not
married
Mr.
Palliser
,
and
left
her
.
That
evening
,
—
the
evening
of
Mr.
Bott
's
return
to
Matching
,
that
gentleman
found
a
place
near
to
Alice
in
the
drawing-room
.
He
had
often
come
up
to
her
,
rubbing
his
hands
together
,
and
saying
little
words
,
as
though
there
was
some
reason
from
their
positions
that
they
two
should
be
friends
.
Alice
had
perceived
this
,
and
had
endeavoured
with
all
her
force
to
shake
him
off
;
but
he
was
a
man
,
who
if
he
understood
a
hint
,
never
took
it
.
A
cold
shoulder
was
nothing
to
him
,
if
he
wanted
to
gain
the
person
who
showed
it
him
.
His
code
of
perseverance
taught
him
that
it
was
a
virtue
to
overcome
cold
shoulders
.
The
man
or
woman
who
received
his
first
overtures
with
grace
would
probably
be
one
on
whom
it
would
be
better
that
he
should
look
down
and
waste
no
further
time
;
whereas
he
or
she
who
could
afford
to
treat
him
with
disdain
would
no
doubt
be
worth
gaining
.
Such
men
as
Mr.
Bott
are
ever
gracious
to
cold
shoulders
.
The
colder
the
shoulders
,
the
more
gracious
are
the
Mr.
Botts
.
"
What
a
delightful
person
is
our
dear
friend
,
Lady
Glencora
!
"
said
Mr.
Bott
,
having
caught
Alice
in
a
position
from
which
she
could
not
readily
escape
.
Alice
had
half
a
mind
to
differ
,
or
to
make
any
remark
that
might
rid
her
from
Mr.
Bott
.
But
she
did
not
dare
to
say
a
word
that
might
seem
to
have
been
said
playfully
.
"
Yes
,
indeed
,
"
she
replied
.
"
How
very
cold
it
is
to-night
!
"
She
was
angry
with
herself
for
her
own
stupidity
as
soon
as
the
phrase
was
out
of
her
mouth
,
and
then
she
almost
laughed
as
she
thought
of
the
Duchess
and
the
hot-water
pipes
at
Longroyston
.
"
Yes
,
it
is
cold
.
You
and
her
ladyship
are
great
friends
,
I
believe
,
Miss
Vavasor
.
"
"
She
is
my
cousin
,
"
said
Alice
.
"
Ah
!
yes
;
that
is
so
pleasant
.
I
have
reason
to
know
that
Mr.
Palliser
is
very
much
gratified
that
you
should
be
so
much
with
her
.
"
This
was
unbearable
.
Alice
could
not
quite
assume
sufficient
courage
to
get
up
from
her
chair
and
walk
away
from
him
,
and
yet
she
felt
that
she
must
escape
further
conversation
.
"
I
do
n't
know
that
I
am
very
much
with
her
,
and
if
I
were
I
ca
n't
think
it
would
make
any
difference
to
Mr.
Palliser
.
"
But
Mr.
Bott
was
not
a
man
to
be
put
down
when
he
had
a
purpose
in
hand
.
"
I
can
assure
you
that
those
are
his
sentiments
.
Of
course
we
all
know
that
dear
Lady
Glencora
is
young
.
She
is
very
young
.
"
"
Mr.
Bott
,
I
really
would
rather
not
talk
about
my
cousin
.
"
"
But
,
dear
Miss
Vavasor
;
—
when
we
both
have
her
welfare
in
view
—
?
"
"
I
have
n't
her
welfare
in
view
,
Mr.
Bott
;
not
in
the
least
.
There
is
no
reason
why
I
should
.
You
must
excuse
me
if
I
say
I
cannot
talk
about
her
welfare
with
a
perfect
stranger
.
"
Then
she
did
get
up
,
and
went
away
from
the
Member
of
Parliament
,
leaving
him
rather
astonished
at
her
audacity
.
But
he
was
a
constant
man
,
and
his
inner
resolve
was
simply
to
the
effect
that
he
would
try
it
again
.
I
wonder
whether
Jeffrey
Palliser
did
think
much
of
the
difference
between
his
present
position
and
that
which
would
have
been
his
had
Lady
Glencora
been
the
happy
possessor
of
a
cradle
up-stairs
with
a
boy
in
it
.
I
suppose
he
must
have
done
so
.
It
is
hardly
possible
that
any
man
should
not
be
alive
to
the
importance
of
such
a
chance
.
His
own
present
position
was
one
of
the
most
unfortunate
which
can
fall
to
the
lot
of
a
man
.
His
father
,
the
Duke
's
youngest
brother
,
had
left
him
about
six
hundred
a
year
,
and
had
left
him
also
a
taste
for
living
with
people
of
six
thousand
.
The
propriety
of
earning
his
bread
had
never
been
put
before
him
.
His
father
had
been
in
Parliament
,
and
had
been
the
most
favoured
son
of
the
old
Duke
,
who
for
some
years
before
his
death
had
never
spoken
to
him
who
now
reigned
over
the
house
of
the
Pallisers
.
Jeffrey
's
father
had
been
brought
up
at
Matching
Priory
as
scions
of
ducal
houses
are
brought
up
,
and
on
the
old
man
's
death
had
been
possessed
of
means
sufficient
to
go
on
in
the
same
path
,
though
with
difficulty
.
His
brother
had
done
something
for
him
,
and
at
various
times
he
had
held
some
place
near
the
throne
.
But
on
his
death
,
when
the
property
left
behind
him
was
divided
between
his
son
and
three
daughters
,
Jeffrey
Palliser
became
possessed
of
the
income
above
stated
.
Of
course
he
could
live
on
it
,
—
and
as
during
the
winter
months
of
the
year
a
home
was
found
for
him
free
of
cost
,
he
could
keep
hunters
,
and
live
as
rich
men
live
.
But
he
was
a
poor
,
embarrassed
man
,
without
prospects
,
—
until
this
fine
ducal
prospect
became
opened
to
him
by
the
want
of
that
cradle
at
Matching
Priory
.
But
the
prospect
was
no
doubt
very
distant
.
Lady
Glencora
might
yet
have
as
many
sons
as
Hecuba
.
Or
she
might
die
,
and
some
other
more
fortunate
lady
might
become
the
mother
of
his
cousin
's
heir
.
Or
the
Duke
might
marry
and
have
a
son
.
And
,
moreover
,
his
cousin
was
only
one
year
older
than
himself
,
and
the
great
prize
,
if
it
came
his
way
,
might
not
come
for
forty
years
as
yet
.
Nevertheless
his
hand
might
now
be
acceptable
in
quarters
where
it
would
certainly
be
rejected
had
Lady
Glencora
possessed
that
cradle
up-stairs
.
We
cannot
but
suppose
that
he
must
have
made
some
calculations
of
this
nature
.
"
It
is
a
pity
you
should
do
nothing
all
your
life
,
"
his
cousin
Plantagenet
said
to
him
one
morning
just
at
this
time
.
Jeffrey
had
sought
the
interview
in
his
cousin
's
room
,
and
I
fear
had
done
so
with
some
slight
request
for
ready
money
.
"
What
am
I
to
do
?
"
said
Jeffrey
.
"
At
any
rate
you
might
marry
.
"
"
Oh
,
yes
;
—
I
could
marry
.
There
's
no
man
so
poor
but
what
he
can
do
that
.
The
question
would
be
how
I
might
like
the
subsequent
starvation
.
"
"
I
do
n't
see
that
you
need
starve
.
Though
your
own
fortune
is
small
,
it
is
something
,
—
and
many
girls
have
fortunes
of
their
own
.
"
Jeffrey
thought
of
Lady
Glencora
,
but
he
made
no
allusion
to
her
in
speech
.
"
I
do
n't
think
I
'm
very
good
at
that
kind
of
thing
,
"
he
said
.
"
When
the
father
and
mother
came
to
ask
of
my
house
and
my
home
I
should
break
down
.
I
do
n't
say
it
as
praising
myself
;
—
indeed
,
quite
the
reverse
;
but
I
fear
I
have
not
a
mercenary
tendency
.
"
"
That
's
nonsense
.
"
"
Oh
,
yes
;
quite
so
.
I
admit
that
.
"
"
Men
must
have
mercenary
tendencies
or
they
would
not
have
bread
.
The
man
who
ploughs
that
he
may
live
does
so
because
he
,
luckily
,
has
a
mercenary
tendency
.
"
"
Just
so
.
But
you
see
I
am
less
lucky
than
the
ploughman
.
"
"
There
is
no
vulgar
error
so
vulgar
,
—
that
is
to
say
,
common
or
erroneous
,
as
that
by
which
men
have
been
taught
to
say
that
mercenary
tendencies
are
bad
.
A
desire
for
wealth
is
the
source
of
all
progress
.
Civilization
comes
from
what
men
call
greed
.
Let
your
mercenary
tendencies
be
combined
with
honesty
and
they
cannot
take
you
astray
.
"
This
the
future
Chancellor
of
the
Exchequer
said
with
much
of
that
air
and
tone
of
wisdom
which
a
Chancellor
of
the
Exchequer
ought
to
possess
.
"
But
I
have
n't
got
any
such
tendencies
,
"
said
Jeffrey
.
"
Would
you
like
to
occupy
a
farm
in
Scotland
?
"
said
Plantagenet
Palliser
.
"
And
pay
rent
?
"
"
You
would
have
to
pay
rent
of
course
.
"
"
Thank
you
,
no.
It
would
be
dishonest
,
as
I
know
I
should
never
pay
it
.
"
"
You
are
too
old
,
I
fear
,
for
the
public
service
.
"
"
You
mean
a
desk
in
the
Treasury
,
—
with
a
hundred
a
year
.
Yes
;
I
think
I
am
too
old
.
"
"
But
have
you
no
plan
of
your
own
?
"
"
Not
much
of
one
.
Sometimes
I
have
thought
I
would
go
to
New
Zealand
.
"
"
You
would
have
to
be
a
farmer
there
.
"
"
No
;
—
I
should
n't
do
that
.
I
should
get
up
an
opposition
to
the
Government
and
that
sort
of
thing
,
and
then
they
would
buy
me
off
and
give
me
a
place
.
"
"
That
does
very
well
here
,
Jeffrey
,
if
a
man
can
get
into
Parliament
and
has
capital
enough
to
wait
;
but
I
do
n't
think
it
would
do
out
there
.
Would
you
like
to
go
into
Parliament
?
"
"
What
;
here
?
Of
course
I
should
.
Only
I
should
be
sure
to
get
terribly
into
debt
.
I
do
n't
owe
very
much
,
now
,
—
not
to
speak
of
,
—
except
what
I
owe
you
.
"
"
You
owe
nothing
to
me
,
"
said
Plantagenet
,
with
some
little
touch
of
magniloquence
in
his
tone
.
"
No
;
do
n't
speak
of
it
.
I
have
no
brother
,
and
between
you
and
me
it
means
nothing
.
You
see
,
Jeffrey
,
it
may
be
that
I
shall
have
to
look
to
you
as
my
—
my
—
my
heir
,
in
short
.
"
Hereupon
Jeffrey
muttered
something
as
to
the
small
probability
of
such
necessity
,
and
as
to
the
great
remoteness
of
any
result
even
if
it
were
so
.
"
That
's
all
true
,
"
said
the
elder
heir
of
the
Pallisers
,
"
but
still
—
.
In
short
,
I
wish
you
would
do
something
.
Do
you
think
about
it
;
and
then
some
day
speak
to
me
again
.
"
Jeffrey
,
as
he
left
his
cousin
with
a
cheque
for
£
500
in
his
waist-coat
pocket
,
thought
that
the
interview
which
had
at
one
time
taken
important
dimensions
,
had
not
been
concluded
altogether
satisfactorily
.
A
seat
in
Parliament
!
Yes
,
indeed
!
If
his
cousin
would
so
far
use
his
political
,
monetary
,
or
ducal
interest
as
to
do
that
for
him
;
—
as
to
give
him
something
of
the
status
properly
belonging
to
the
younger
son
of
the
House
,
then
indeed
life
would
have
some
charms
for
him
!
But
as
for
the
farm
in
Scotland
,
or
a
desk
at
an
office
in
London
,
—
his
own
New
Zealand
plan
would
be
better
than
those
.
And
then
as
he
went
along
of
course
he
bethought
himself
that
it
might
be
his
lot
yet
to
die
,
and
at
least
to
be
buried
,
in
the
purple
,
as
a
Duke
of
Omnium
.
If
so
,
certainly
it
would
be
his
duty
to
prepare
another
heir
,
and
leave
a
duke
behind
him
,
—
if
it
were
possible
.
"
Are
you
going
to
ride
with
us
after
lunch
?
"
said
Lady
Glencora
to
him
as
he
strolled
into
the
drawing-room
.
"
No
,
"
said
Jeffrey
;
"
I
'm
going
to
study
.
"
"
To
do
what
?
"
said
Lady
Glencora
.
"
To
study
;
—
or
rather
I
shall
spend
to-day
in
sitting
down
and
considering
what
I
will
study
.
My
cousin
has
just
been
telling
me
that
I
ought
to
do
something
.
"
"
So
you
ought
,
"
said
Iphigenia
energetically
from
her
writing-desk
.
"
But
he
did
n't
seem
to
have
any
clear
opinion
what
it
ought
to
be
.
You
see
there
ca
n't
be
two
Chancellors
of
the
Exchequer
at
the
same
time
.
Mrs.
Sparkes
,
what
ought
a
young
man
like
me
to
set
about
doing
?
"
"
Go
into
Parliament
,
I
should
say
,
"
said
Mrs.
Sparkes
.
"
Ah
,
yes
;
exactly
.
He
had
some
notion
of
that
kind
,
too
,
but
he
did
n't
name
any
particular
place
.
I
think
I
'll
try
the
City
of
London
.
They
've
four
there
,
and
of
course
the
chance
of
getting
in
would
thereby
be
doubled
.
"
"
I
thought
that
commercial
men
were
generally
preferred
in
the
City
,
"
said
the
Duchess
,
taking
a
strong
and
good-natured
interest
in
the
matter
.
"
Mr.
Palliser
means
to
make
a
fortune
in
trade
as
a
preliminary
,
"
said
Mrs.
Sparkes
.
"
I
do
n't
think
he
meant
anything
of
the
kind
,
"
said
the
Duchess
.
"
At
any
rate
I
have
got
to
do
something
,
so
I
ca
n't
go
and
ride
,
"
said
Jeffrey
.
"
And
you
ought
to
do
something
,
"
said
Iphigenia
from
her
desk
.
Twice
during
this
little
conversation
Lady
Glencora
had
looked
up
,
catching
Alice
's
eye
,
and
Alice
had
well
known
what
she
had
meant
.
"
You
see
,
"
the
glance
had
said
,
"
Plantagenet
is
beginning
to
take
an
interest
in
his
cousin
,
and
you
know
why
.
The
man
who
is
to
be
the
father
of
the
future
dukes
must
not
be
allowed
to
fritter
away
his
time
in
obscurity
.
Had
I
that
cradle
up-stairs
Jeffrey
might
be
as
idle
as
he
pleased
.
"
Alice
understood
it
well
.
Of
course
Jeffrey
did
join
the
riding
party
.
"
What
is
a
man
like
me
to
do
who
wants
to
do
something
?
"
he
said
to
Alice
.
Alice
was
quite
aware
that
Lady
Glencora
had
contrived
some
little
scheme
that
Mr.
Palliser
should
be
riding
next
to
her
.
She
liked
Mr.
Palliser
,
and
therefore
had
no
objection
;
but
she
declared
to
herself
that
her
cousin
was
a
goose
for
her
pains
.
"
Mrs.
Sparkes
says
you
ought
to
go
into
Parliament
.
"
"
Yes
;
—
and
the
dear
Duchess
would
perhaps
suggest
a
house
in
Belgrave
Square
.
I
want
to
hear
your
advice
now
.
"
"
I
can
only
say
ditto
to
Miss
Palliser
.
"
"
What
!
Iphy
?
About
procrastination
?
But
you
see
the
more
of
my
time
he
steals
the
better
it
is
for
me
.
"
"
That
's
the
evil
you
have
got
to
cure
.
"
"
My
cousin
Plantagenet
suggested
—
marriage
.
"
"
A
very
good
thing
too
,
I
'm
sure
,
"
said
Alice
;
"
only
it
depends
something
on
the
sort
of
wife
you
get
.
"
"
You
mean
,
of
course
,
how
much
money
she
has
.
"
"
Not
altogether
.
"
"
Looking
at
it
from
my
cousin
's
point
of
view
,
I
suppose
that
it
is
the
only
important
point
.
Who
are
there
coming
up
this
year
,
—
in
the
way
of
heiresses
?
"
"
Upon
my
word
I
do
n't
know
.
In
the
first
place
,
how
much
money
makes
an
heiress
?
"
"
For
such
a
fellow
as
me
,
I
suppose
ten
thousand
pounds
ought
to
do
.
"
"
That
's
not
much
,
"
said
Alice
,
who
had
exactly
that
amount
of
her
own
.
"
No
—
;
perhaps
that
's
too
moderate
.
But
the
lower
one
went
in
the
money
speculation
,
the
greater
would
be
the
number
to
choose
from
,
and
the
better
the
chance
of
getting
something
decent
in
the
woman
herself
.
I
have
something
of
my
own
,
—
not
much
you
know
;
so
with
the
lady
's
ten
thousand
pounds
we
might
be
able
to
live
,
—
in
some
second-rate
French
town
perhaps
.
"
"
But
I
do
n't
see
what
you
would
gain
by
that
.
"
"
My
people
here
would
have
got
rid
of
me
.
That
seems
to
be
the
great
thing
.
If
you
hear
of
any
girl
with
about
that
sum
,
moderately
good-looking
,
not
too
young
so
that
she
might
know
something
of
the
world
,
decently
born
,
and
able
to
read
and
write
,
perhaps
you
will
bear
me
in
mind
.
"
"
Yes
,
I
will
,
"
said
Alice
,
who
was
quite
aware
that
he
had
made
an
accurate
picture
of
her
own
position
.
"
When
I
meet
such
a
one
,
I
will
send
for
you
at
once
.
"
"
You
know
no
such
person
now
?
"
"
Well
,
no
;
not
just
at
present
.
"
"
I
declare
I
do
n't
think
he
could
do
anything
better
,
"
her
cousin
said
to
her
that
night
.
Lady
Glencora
was
now
in
the
habit
of
having
Alice
with
her
in
what
she
called
her
dressing-room
every
evening
,
and
then
they
would
sit
till
the
small
hours
came
upon
them
.
Mr.
Palliser
always
burnt
the
midnight
oil
and
came
to
bed
with
the
owls
.
They
would
often
talk
of
him
and
his
prospects
till
Alice
had
perhaps
inspired
his
wife
with
more
of
interest
in
him
and
them
than
she
had
before
felt
.
And
Alice
had
managed
generally
to
drive
her
friend
away
from
those
topics
which
were
so
dangerous
,
—
those
allusions
to
her
childlessness
,
and
those
hints
that
Burgo
Fitzgerald
was
still
in
her
thoughts
.
And
sometimes
,
of
course
,
they
had
spoken
of
Alice
's
own
prospects
,
till
she
got
into
a
way
of
telling
her
cousin
freely
all
that
she
felt
.
On
such
occasions
Lady
Glencora
would
always
tell
her
that
she
had
been
right
,
—
if
she
did
not
love
the
man
.
"
Though
your
finger
were
put
out
for
the
ring
,
"
said
Lady
Glencora
on
one
such
occasion
,
"
you
should
go
back
,
if
you
did
not
love
him
.
"
"
But
I
did
love
him
,
"
said
Alice
.
"
Then
I
do
n't
understand
it
,
"
said
Lady
Glencora
;
and
,
in
truth
,
close
as
was
their
intimacy
,
they
did
not
perfectly
understand
each
other
.
But
on
this
occasion
they
were
speaking
of
Jeffrey
Palliser
.
"
I
declare
I
do
n't
think
he
could
do
any
better
,
"
said
Lady
Glencora
.
"
If
you
talk
such
nonsense
,
I
will
not
stay
,
"
said
Alice
.
"
But
why
should
it
be
nonsense
?
You
would
be
very
comfortable
with
your
joint
incomes
.
He
is
one
of
the
best
fellows
in
the
world
.
It
is
clear
that
he
likes
you
;
and
then
we
should
be
so
near
to
each
other
.
I
am
sure
Mr.
Palliser
would
do
something
for
him
if
he
married
,
—
and
especially
if
I
asked
him
.
"
"
I
only
know
of
two
things
against
it
.
"
"
And
what
are
they
?
"
"
That
he
would
not
take
me
for
his
wife
,
and
that
I
would
not
take
him
for
my
husband
.
"
"
Why
not
?
What
do
you
dislike
in
him
?
"
"
I
do
n't
dislike
him
at
all
.
I
like
him
very
much
indeed
.
But
one
ca
n't
marry
all
the
people
one
likes
.
"
"
But
what
reason
is
there
why
you
should
n't
marry
him
?
"
"
This
chiefly
,
"
said
Alice
,
after
a
pause
;
"
that
I
have
just
separated
myself
from
a
man
whom
I
certainly
did
love
truly
,
and
that
I
cannot
transfer
my
affections
quite
so
quickly
as
that
.
"
As
soon
as
the
words
were
out
of
her
mouth
she
knew
that
they
should
not
have
been
spoken
.
It
was
exactly
what
Glencora
had
done
.
She
had
loved
a
man
and
had
separated
herself
from
him
and
had
married
another
all
within
a
month
or
two
.
Lady
Glencora
first
became
red
as
fire
over
her
whole
face
and
shoulders
,
and
Alice
afterwards
did
the
same
as
she
looked
up
,
as
though
searching
in
her
cousin
's
eyes
for
pardon
.
"
It
is
an
unmaidenly
thing
to
do
,
certainly
,
"
said
Lady
Glencora
very
slowly
,
and
in
her
lowest
voice
.
"
Nay
,
it
is
unwomanly
;
but
one
may
be
driven
.
One
may
be
so
driven
that
all
gentleness
of
womanhood
is
driven
out
of
one
.
"
"
Oh
,
Glencora
!
"
"
I
did
not
propose
that
you
should
do
it
as
a
sudden
thing
.
"
"
Glencora
!
"
"
I
did
do
it
suddenly
.
I
know
it
.
I
did
it
like
a
beast
that
is
driven
as
its
owner
chooses
.
I
know
it
.
I
was
a
beast
.
Oh
,
Alice
,
if
you
know
how
I
hate
myself
!
"
"
But
I
love
you
with
all
my
heart
,
"
said
Alice
.
"
Glencora
,
I
have
learned
to
love
you
so
dearly
!
"
"
Then
you
are
the
only
being
that
does
.
He
ca
n't
love
me
.
How
is
it
possible
?
You
,
—
and
perhaps
another
.
"
"
There
are
many
who
love
you
.
He
loves
you
.
Mr.
Palliser
loves
you
.
"
"
It
is
impossible
.
I
have
never
said
a
word
to
him
that
could
make
him
love
me
.
I
have
never
done
a
thing
for
him
that
can
make
him
love
me
.
The
mother
of
his
child
he
might
have
loved
,
because
of
that
.
Why
should
he
love
me
?
We
were
told
to
marry
each
other
and
did
it
.
When
could
he
have
learned
to
love
me
?
But
,
Alice
,
he
requires
no
loving
,
either
to
take
it
or
to
give
it
.
I
wish
it
were
so
with
me
.
"
Alice
said
what
she
could
to
comfort
her
,
but
her
words
were
but
of
little
avail
as
regarded
those
marriage
sorrows
.
"
Forgive
you
!
"
at
last
Glencora
said
.
"
What
have
I
to
forgive
?
You
do
n't
suppose
I
do
not
know
it
all
,
and
think
of
it
all
without
the
chance
of
some
stray
word
like
that
!
Forgive
you
!
I
am
so
grateful
that
you
love
me
!
Some
one
's
love
I
must
have
found
,
—
or
I
could
not
have
remained
here
.
"
CHAPTER
XXVI
.
Lady
Midlothian
.
A
week
or
ten
days
after
this
,
Alice
,
when
she
came
down
to
the
breakfast-parlour
one
morning
,
found
herself
alone
with
Mr.
Bott
.
It
was
the
fashion
at
Matching
Priory
for
people
to
assemble
rather
late
in
the
day
.
The
nominal
hour
for
breakfast
was
ten
,
and
none
of
the
ladies
of
the
party
were
ever
seen
before
that
.
Some
of
the
gentlemen
would
breakfast
earlier
,
especially
on
hunting
mornings
;
and
on
some
occasions
the
ladies
,
when
they
came
together
,
would
find
themselves
altogether
deserted
by
their
husbands
and
brothers
.
On
this
day
it
was
fated
that
Mr.
Bott
alone
should
represent
the
sterner
sex
,
and
when
Alice
entered
the
room
he
was
standing
on
the
rug
with
his
back
to
the
fire
,
waiting
till
the
appearance
of
some
other
guest
should
give
him
the
sanction
necessary
for
the
commencement
of
his
morning
meal
.
Alice
,
when
she
saw
him
,
would
have
retreated
had
it
been
possible
,
for
she
had
learned
to
dislike
him
greatly
,
and
was
,
indeed
,
almost
afraid
of
him
;
but
she
could
not
do
so
without
making
her
flight
too
conspicuous
.
"
Do
you
intend
to
prolong
your
stay
here
,
Miss
Vavasor
?
"
said
Mr.
Bott
,
taking
advantage
of
the
first
moment
at
which
she
looked
up
from
a
letter
which
she
was
reading
.
"
For
a
few
more
days
,
I
think
,
"
said
Alice
.
"
Ah
—
I
'm
glad
of
that
.
Mr.
Palliser
has
pressed
me
so
much
to
remain
till
he
goes
to
the
Duke
's
,
that
I
cannot
get
away
sooner
.
As
I
am
an
unmarried
man
myself
,
I
can
employ
my
time
as
well
in
one
place
as
in
another
;
—
at
this
time
of
the
year
at
least
.
"
"
You
must
find
that
very
convenient
,
"
said
Alice
.
"
Yes
,
it
is
convenient
.
You
see
in
my
position
,
—
Parliamentary
position
,
I
mean
,
—
I
am
obliged
,
as
a
public
man
,
to
act
in
concert
with
others
.
A
public
man
can
be
of
no
service
unless
he
is
prepared
to
do
that
.
We
must
give
and
take
,
you
know
,
Miss
Vavasor
.
"
As
Miss
Vavasor
made
no
remark
in
answer
to
this
,
Mr.
Bott
continued
—
"
I
always
say
to
the
men
of
my
party
,
—
of
course
I
regard
myself
as
belonging
to
the
extreme
Radicals
.
"
"
Oh
,
indeed
!
"
said
Alice
.
"
Yes
.
I
came
into
Parliament
on
that
understanding
;
and
I
have
never
seen
any
occasion
as
yet
to
change
any
political
opinion
that
I
have
expressed
.
But
I
always
say
to
the
gentlemen
with
whom
I
act
,
that
nothing
can
be
done
if
we
do
n't
give
and
take
.
I
do
n't
mind
saying
to
you
,
Miss
Vavasor
,
that
I
look
upon
our
friend
,
Mr.
Palliser
,
as
the
most
rising
public
man
in
the
country
.
I
do
,
indeed
.
"
"
I
am
happy
to
hear
you
say
so
,
"
said
his
victim
,
who
found
herself
driven
to
make
some
remark
.
"
And
I
,
as
an
extreme
Radical
,
do
not
think
I
can
serve
my
party
better
than
by
keeping
in
the
same
boat
with
him
,
as
long
as
it
will
hold
the
two
.
'
He
'll
make
a
Government
hack
of
you
,
'
a
friend
of
mine
said
to
me
the
other
day
.
'
And
I
'll
make
a
Manchester
school
Prime
Minister
of
him
,
'
I
replied
.
I
rather
think
I
know
what
I
'm
about
,
Miss
Vavasor
.
"
"
No
doubt
,
"
said
Alice
.
"
And
so
does
he
;
—
and
so
does
he
.
Mr.
Palliser
is
not
the
man
to
be
led
by
the
nose
by
any
one
.
But
it
's
a
fair
system
of
give
and
take
.
You
ca
n't
get
on
in
politics
without
it
.
What
a
charming
woman
is
your
relative
,
Lady
Glencowrer
!
I
remember
well
what
you
said
to
me
the
other
evening
.
"
"
Do
you
?
"
said
Alice
.
"
And
I
quite
agree
with
you
that
confidential
intercourse
regarding
dear
friends
should
not
be
lightly
made
.
"
"
Certainly
not
,
"
said
Alice
.
"
