alteredtone
,
—
slowly
,
as
though
she
were
thinking
of
something
that
pained
her
.
It
was
from
Burgo
Fitzgerald
that
she
had
heard
of
George
Vavasor
.
Alice
did
not
know
what
to
say
.
She
found
it
impossible
to
discuss
all
the
most
secret
and
deepest
of
her
feelings
out
in
that
open
carriage
,
perhaps
in
the
hearing
of
the
servant
behind
,
on
this
her
first
meeting
with
her
cousin
,
—
of
whom
,
in
fact
,
she
knew
very
little
.
She
had
not
intended
to
discuss
these
things
at
all
,
and
certainly
not
in
such
a
manner
as
this
.
So
she
remained
silent
.
"
This
is
the
beginning
of
the
park
,
"
said
Lady
Glencora
,
pointing
to
a
grand
old
ruin
of
an
oak
tree
,
which
stood
on
the
wide
margin
of
the
road
,
outside
the
rounded
corner
of
the
park
palings
,
propped
up
with
a
skeleton
of
supporting
sticks
all
round
it
.
"
And
that
is
Matching
oak
,
under
which
Cœur
de
Lion
or
Edward
the
Third
,
I
forget
which
,
was
met
by
Sir
Guy
de
Palisere
as
he
came
from
the
war
,
or
from
hunting
,
or
something
of
that
kind
.
It
was
the
king
,
you
know
,
who
had
been
fighting
or
whatever
it
was
,
and
Sir
Guy
entertained
him
when
he
was
very
tired
.
Jeffrey
Palliser
,
who
is
my
husband
's
cousin
,
says
that
old
Sir
Guy
luckily
pulled
out
his
brandy-flask
.
But
the
king
immediately
gave
him
all
the
lands
of
Matching
,
—
only
there
was
a
priory
then
and
a
lot
of
monks
,
and
I
do
n't
quite
understand
how
that
was
.
But
I
know
one
of
the
younger
brothers
always
used
to
be
abbot
and
sit
in
the
House
of
Lords
.
And
the
king
gave
him
Littlebury
at
the
same
time
,
which
is
about
seven
miles
away
from
here
.
As
Jeffrey
Palliser
says
,
it
was
a
great
deal
of
money
for
a
pull
at
his
flask
.
Jeffrey
Palliser
is
here
now
,
and
I
hope
you
'll
like
him
.
If
I
have
no
child
,
and
Mr.
Palliser
were
not
to
marry
again
,
Jeffrey
would
be
the
heir
.
"
And
here
again
her
voice
was
low
and
slow
,
and
altogether
changed
in
its
tone
.
"
I
suppose
that
's
the
way
most
of
the
old
families
got
their
estates
.
"
"
Either
so
,
or
by
robbery
.
Many
of
them
were
terrible
thieves
,
my
dear
,
and
I
dare
say
Sir
Guy
was
no
better
than
he
should
be
.
But
since
that
they
have
always
called
some
of
the
Pallisers
Plantagenet
.
My
husband
's
name
is
Plantagenet
.
The
Duke
is
called
George
Plantagenet
,
and
the
king
was
his
godfather
.
The
queen
is
my
godmother
,
I
believe
,
but
I
do
n't
know
that
I
'm
much
the
better
for
it
.
There
's
no
use
in
godfathers
and
godmothers
;
—
do
you
think
there
is
?
"
"
Not
much
as
it
's
managed
now
.
"
"
If
I
had
a
child
,
—
Oh
,
Alice
,
it
's
a
dreadful
thing
not
to
have
a
child
when
so
much
depends
on
it
!
"
"
But
you
're
such
a
short
time
married
yet
.
"
"
Ah
,
well
;
I
can
see
it
in
his
eyes
when
he
asks
me
questions
;
but
I
do
n't
think
he
'd
say
an
unkind
word
,
not
if
his
own
position
depended
on
it
.
Ah
,
well
;
this
is
Matching
.
That
other
gate
we
passed
,
where
Dandy
wanted
to
turn
in
,
—
that
's
where
we
usually
go
up
,
but
I
've
brought
you
round
to
show
you
the
town
.
That
's
the
inn
,
—
whoever
can
possibly
come
to
stay
there
I
do
n't
know
;
I
never
saw
anybody
go
in
or
out
.
That
's
the
baker
who
bakes
our
bread
,
—
we
baked
it
at
the
house
at
first
,
but
nobody
could
eat
it
;
and
I
know
that
that
man
there
mends
Mr.
Palliser
's
shoes
.
He
's
very
particular
about
his
shoes
.
We
shall
see
the
church
as
we
go
in
at
the
other
gate
.
It
is
in
the
park
,
and
is
very
pretty
,
—
but
not
half
so
pretty
as
the
priory
ruins
close
to
the
house
.
The
ruins
are
our
great
lion
.
I
do
so
love
to
wander
about
them
at
moonlight
.
I
often
think
of
you
when
I
do
;
I
do
n't
know
why
.
—
But
I
do
know
why
,
and
I
'll
tell
you
some
day
.
Come
,
Miss
Flirt
!
"
As
they
drove
up
through
the
park
,
Lady
Glencora
pointed
out
first
the
church
and
then
the
ruins
,
through
the
midst
of
which
the
road
ran
,
and
then
they
were
at
once
before
the
front
door
.
The
corner
of
the
modern
house
came
within
two
hundred
yards
of
the
gateway
of
the
old
priory
.
It
was
a
large
building
,
very
pretty
,
with
two
long
fronts
;
but
it
was
no
more
than
a
house
.
It
was
not
a
palace
,
nor
a
castle
,
nor
was
it
hardly
to
be
called
a
mansion
.
It
was
built
with
gabled
roofs
,
four
of
which
formed
the
side
from
which
the
windows
of
the
drawing-rooms
opened
out
upon
a
lawn
which
separated
the
house
from
the
old
ruins
,
and
which
indeed
surrounded
the
ruins
,
and
went
inside
them
,
forming
the
present
flooring
of
the
old
chapel
,
and
the
old
refectory
,
and
the
old
cloisters
.
Much
of
the
cloisters
indeed
was
standing
,
and
there
the
stone
pavement
remained
;
but
the
square
of
the
cloisters
was
all
turfed
,
and
in
the
middle
of
it
stood
a
large
modern
stone
vase
,
out
of
the
broad
basin
of
which
hung
flowering
creepers
and
green
tendrils
.
As
Lady
Glencora
drove
up
to
the
door
,
a
gentleman
,
who
had
heard
the
sound
of
the
wheels
,
came
forth
to
meet
them
.
"
There
's
Mr.
Palliser
,
"
said
she
;
"
that
shows
that
you
are
an
honoured
guest
,
for
you
may
be
sure
that
he
is
hard
at
work
and
would
not
have
come
out
for
anybody
else
.
Plantagenet
,
here
is
Miss
Vavasor
,
perished
.
Alice
,
my
husband
.
"
Then
Mr.
Palliser
put
forth
his
hand
and
helped
her
out
of
the
carriage
.
"
I
hope
you
've
not
found
it
very
cold
,
"
said
he
.
"
The
winter
has
come
upon
us
quite
suddenly
.
"
He
said
nothing
more
to
her
than
this
,
till
he
met
her
again
before
dinner
.
He
was
a
tall
thin
man
,
apparently
not
more
than
thirty
years
of
age
,
looking
in
all
respects
like
a
gentleman
,
but
with
nothing
in
his
appearance
that
was
remarkable
.
It
was
a
face
that
you
might
see
and
forget
,
and
see
again
and
forget
again
;
and
yet
when
you
looked
at
it
and
pulled
it
to
pieces
,
you
found
that
it
was
a
fairly
good
face
,
showing
intellect
in
the
forehead
,
and
much
character
in
the
mouth
.
The
eyes
too
,
though
not
to
be
called
bright
,
had
always
something
to
say
for
themselves
,
looking
as
though
they
had
a
real
meaning
.
But
the
outline
of
the
face
was
almost
insignificant
,
being
too
thin
;
and
he
wore
no
beard
to
give
it
character
.
But
,
indeed
,
Mr.
Palliser
was
a
man
who
had
never
thought
of
assisting
his
position
in
the
world
by
his
outward
appearance
.
Not
to
be
looked
at
,
but
to
be
read
about
in
the
newspapers
,
was
his
ambition
.
Men
said
that
he
was
to
be
Chancellor
of
the
Exchequer
,
and
no
one
thought
of
suggesting
that
the
insignificance
of
his
face
would
stand
in
his
way
.
"
Are
the
people
all
out
?
"
his
wife
asked
him
.
"
The
men
have
not
come
in
from
shooting
;
—
at
least
I
think
not
;
—
and
some
of
the
ladies
are
driving
,
I
suppose
.
But
I
have
n't
seen
anybody
since
you
went
.
"
"
Of
course
you
have
n't
.
He
never
has
time
,
Alice
,
to
see
any
one
.
But
we
'll
go
up-stairs
,
dear
.
I
told
them
to
let
us
have
tea
in
my
dressing-room
,
as
I
thought
you
'd
like
that
better
than
going
into
the
drawing-room
before
you
had
taken
off
your
things
.
You
must
be
famished
,
I
know
.
Then
you
can
come
down
,
or
if
you
want
to
avoid
two
dressings
you
can
sit
over
the
fire
up-stairs
till
dinner-time
.
"
So
saying
she
skipped
up-stairs
and
Alice
followed
her
.
"
Here
's
my
dressing-room
,
and
here
's
your
room
all
but
opposite
.
You
look
out
into
the
park
.
It
's
pretty
,
is
n't
it
?
But
come
into
my
dressing-room
,
and
see
the
ruins
out
of
the
window
.
"
Alice
followed
Lady
Glencora
across
the
passage
into
what
she
called
her
dressing-room
,
and
there
found
herself
surrounded
by
an
infinitude
of
feminine
luxuries
.
The
prettiest
of
tables
were
there
;
—
the
easiest
of
chairs
;
—
the
most
costly
of
cabinets
;
—
the
quaintest
of
old
china
ornaments
.
It
was
bright
with
the
gayest
colours
,
—
made
pleasant
to
the
eye
with
the
binding
of
many
books
,
having
nymphs
painted
on
the
ceiling
and
little
Cupids
on
the
doors
.
"
Is
n't
it
pretty
?
"
she
said
,
turning
quickly
on
Alice
.
"
I
call
it
my
dressing-room
because
in
that
way
I
can
keep
people
out
of
it
,
but
I
have
my
brushes
and
soap
in
a
little
closet
there
,
and
my
clothes
,
—
my
clothes
are
everywhere
I
suppose
,
only
there
are
none
of
them
here
.
Is
n't
it
pretty
?
"
"
Very
pretty
.
"
"
The
Duke
did
it
all
.
He
understands
such
things
thoroughly
.
Now
to
Mr.
Palliser
a
dressing-room
is
a
dressing-room
,
and
a
bedroom
a
bedroom
.
He
cares
for
nothing
being
pretty
;
not
even
his
wife
,
or
he
would
n't
have
married
me
.
"
"
You
would
n't
say
that
if
you
meant
it
.
"
"
Well
,
I
do
n't
know
.
Sometimes
when
I
look
at
myself
,
when
I
simply
am
myself
,
with
no
making
up
or
grimacing
,
you
know
,
I
think
I
'm
the
ugliest
young
woman
the
sun
ever
shone
on
.
And
in
ten
years
'
time
I
shall
be
the
ugliest
old
woman
.
Only
think
,
—
my
hair
is
beginning
to
get
grey
,
and
I
'm
not
twenty-one
yet
.
Look
at
it
;
"
and
she
lifted
up
the
wavy
locks
just
above
her
ear
.
"
But
there
's
one
comfort
;
he
does
n't
care
about
beauty
.
How
old
are
you
?
"
"
Over
five-and-twenty
,
"
said
Alice
.
"
Nonsense
;
—
then
I
ought
n't
to
have
asked
you
.
I
am
so
sorry
.
"
"
That
's
nonsense
at
any
rate
.
Why
should
you
think
I
should
be
ashamed
of
my
age
?
"
"
I
do
n't
know
why
,
only
somehow
,
people
are
;
and
I
did
n't
think
you
were
so
old
.
Five-and-twenty
seems
so
old
to
me
.
It
would
be
nothing
if
you
were
married
;
only
,
you
see
,
you
wo
n't
get
married
.
"
"
Perhaps
I
may
yet
;
some
day
.
"
"
Of
course
you
will
.
You
'll
have
to
give
way
.
You
'll
find
that
they
'll
get
the
better
of
you
.
Your
father
will
storm
at
you
,
and
Lady
Macleod
will
preach
at
you
,
and
Lady
Midlothian
will
jump
upon
you
.
"
"
I
'm
not
a
bit
afraid
of
Lady
Midlothian
.
"
"
I
know
what
it
is
,
my
dear
,
to
be
jumped
upon
.
We
talked
with
such
horror
of
the
French
people
giving
their
daughters
in
marriage
,
just
as
they
might
sell
a
house
or
a
field
,
but
we
do
exactly
the
same
thing
ourselves
.
When
they
all
come
upon
you
in
earnest
how
are
you
to
stand
against
them
?
How
can
any
girl
do
it
?
"
"
I
think
I
shall
be
able
.
"
"
To
be
sure
you
're
older
,
—
and
you
are
not
so
heavily
weighted
.
But
never
mind
;
I
did
n't
mean
to
talk
about
that
;
—
not
yet
at
any
rate
.
Well
,
now
,
my
dear
,
I
must
go
down
.
The
Duchess
of
St.
Bungay
is
here
,
and
Mr.
Palliser
will
be
angry
if
I
do
n't
do
pretty
to
her
.
The
Duke
is
to
be
the
new
President
of
the
Council
,
or
rather
,
I
believe
he
is
President
now
.
I
try
to
remember
it
all
,
but
it
is
so
hard
when
one
does
n't
really
care
two
pence
how
it
goes
.
Not
but
what
I
'm
very
anxious
that
Mr.
Palliser
should
be
Chancellor
of
the
Exchequer
.
And
now
,
will
you
remain
here
,
or
will
you
come
down
with
me
,
or
will
you
go
to
your
own
room
,
and
I
'll
call
for
you
when
I
go
down
to
dinner
?
We
dine
at
eight
.
"
Alice
decided
that
she
would
stay
in
her
own
room
till
dinner
time
,
and
was
taken
there
by
Lady
Glencora
.
She
found
her
maid
unpacking
her
clothes
,
and
for
a
while
employed
herself
in
assisting
at
the
work
;
but
that
was
soon
done
,
and
then
she
was
left
alone
.
"
I
shall
feel
so
strange
,
ma'am
,
among
all
those
people
down-stairs
,
"
said
the
girl
.
"
They
all
seem
to
look
at
me
as
though
they
did
n't
know
who
I
was
.
"
"
You
'll
get
over
that
soon
,
Jane
.
"
"
I
suppose
I
shall
;
but
you
see
,
they
're
all
like
knowing
each
other
,
miss.
"
Alice
,
when
she
sat
down
alone
,
felt
herself
to
be
very
much
in
the
same
condition
as
her
maid
.
What
would
the
Duchess
of
St.
Bungay
or
Mr.
Jeffrey
Palliser
,
—
who
himself
might
live
to
be
a
duke
if
things
went
well
for
him
,
—
care
for
her
?
As
to
Mr.
Palliser
,
the
master
of
the
house
,
it
was
already
evident
to
her
that
he
would
not
put
himself
out
of
his
way
for
her
.
Had
she
not
done
wrong
to
come
there
?
If
it
were
possible
for
her
to
fly
away
,
back
to
the
dullness
of
Queen
Anne
Street
,
or
even
to
the
preachings
of
Lady
Macleod
,
would
she
not
do
so
immediately
?
What
business
had
she
,
—
she
asked
herself
,
—
to
come
to
such
a
house
as
that
?
Lady
Glencora
was
very
kind
to
her
,
but
frightened
her
even
by
her
kindness
.
Moreover
,
she
was
aware
that
Lady
Glencora
could
not
devote
herself
especially
to
any
such
guest
as
she
was
.
Lady
Glencora
must
of
course
look
after
her
duchesses
,
and
do
pretty
,
as
she
called
it
,
to
her
husband
's
important
political
alliances
.
And
then
she
began
to
think
about
Lady
Glencora
herself
.
What
a
strange
,
weird
nature
she
was
,
—
with
her
round
blue
eyes
and
wavy
hair
,
looking
sometimes
like
a
child
and
sometimes
almost
like
an
old
woman
!
And
how
she
talked
!
What
things
she
said
,
and
what
terrible
forebodings
she
uttered
of
stranger
things
that
she
meant
to
say
!
Why
had
she
at
their
first
meeting
made
that
allusion
to
the
mode
of
her
own
betrothal
,
—
and
then
,
checking
herself
for
speaking
of
it
so
soon
,
almost
declare
that
she
meant
to
speak
more
of
it
hereafter
?
"
She
should
never
mention
it
to
any
one
,
"
said
Alice
to
herself
.
"
If
her
lot
in
life
has
not
satisfied
her
,
there
is
so
much
the
more
reason
why
she
should
not
mention
it
.
"
Then
Alice
protested
to
herself
that
no
father
,
no
aunt
,
no
Lady
Midlothian
should
persuade
her
into
a
marriage
of
which
she
feared
the
consequences
.
But
Lady
Glencora
had
made
for
herself
excuses
which
were
not
altogether
untrue
.
She
had
been
very
young
,
and
had
been
terribly
weighted
with
her
wealth
.
And
it
seemed
to
Alice
that
her
cousin
had
told
her
everything
in
that
hour
and
a
half
that
they
had
been
together
.
She
had
given
a
whole
history
of
her
husband
and
of
herself
.
She
had
said
how
indifferent
he
was
to
her
pleasures
,
and
how
vainly
she
strove
to
interest
herself
in
his
pursuits
.
And
then
,
as
yet
,
she
was
childless
and
without
prospect
of
a
child
,
when
,
as
she
herself
had
said
,
—
"
so
much
depended
on
it
.
"
It
was
very
strange
to
Alice
that
all
this
should
have
been
already
told
to
her
.
And
why
should
Lady
Glencora
think
of
Alice
when
she
walked
out
among
the
priory
ruins
by
moonlight
?
The
two
hours
seemed
to
her
very
long
,
—
as
though
she
were
passing
her
time
in
absolute
seclusion
at
Matching
.
Of
course
she
did
not
dare
to
go
down-stairs
.
But
at
last
her
maid
came
to
dress
her
.
"
How
do
you
get
on
below
,
Jane
?
"
her
mistress
asked
her
.
"
Why
,
miss
,
they
are
uncommon
civil
,
and
I
do
n't
think
after
all
it
will
be
so
bad
.
We
had
our
teas
very
comfortable
in
the
housekeeper
's
room
.
There
are
five
or
six
of
us
altogether
,
all
ladies'-maids
,
miss
;
and
there
's
nothing
on
earth
to
do
all
the
day
long
,
only
sit
and
do
a
little
needlework
over
the
fire
.
"
A
few
minutes
before
eight
Lady
Glencora
knocked
at
Alice
's
door
,
and
took
her
arm
to
lead
her
to
the
drawing-room
.
Alice
saw
that
she
was
magnificently
dressed
,
with
an
enormous
expanse
of
robe
,
and
that
her
locks
had
been
so
managed
that
no
one
could
suspect
the
presence
of
a
grey
hair
.
Indeed
,
with
all
her
magnificence
,
she
looked
almost
a
child
.
"
Let
me
see
,
"
she
said
,
as
they
went
down-stairs
together
.
"
I
'll
tell
Jeffrey
to
take
you
in
to
dinner
.
He
's
about
the
easiest
young
man
we
have
here
.
He
rather
turns
up
his
nose
at
everything
,
but
that
does
n't
make
him
the
less
agreeable
;
does
it
,
dear
?
—
unless
he
turns
up
his
nose
at
you
,
you
know
.
"
"
But
perhaps
he
will
.
"
"
No
;
he
wo
n't
do
that
.
That
would
be
uncourteous
,
—
and
he
's
the
most
courteous
man
in
the
world
.
There
's
nobody
here
,
you
see
,
"
she
said
as
they
entered
the
room
,
"
and
I
did
n't
suppose
there
would
be
.
It
's
always
proper
to
be
first
in
one
's
own
house
.
I
do
so
try
to
be
proper
,
—
and
it
is
such
trouble
.
Talking
of
people
earning
their
bread
,
Alice
;
—
I
'm
sure
I
earn
mine
.
Oh
dear
!
—
what
fun
it
would
be
to
be
sitting
somewhere
in
Asia
,
eating
a
chicken
with
one
's
fingers
,
and
lighting
a
big
fire
outside
one
's
tent
to
keep
off
the
lions
and
tigers
.
Fancy
your
being
on
one
side
of
the
fire
and
the
lions
and
tigers
on
the
other
,
grinning
at
you
through
the
flames
!
"
Then
Lady
Glencora
strove
to
look
like
a
lion
,
and
grinned
at
herself
in
the
glass
.
"
That
sort
of
grin
would
n't
frighten
me
,
"
said
Alice
.
"
I
dare
say
not
.
I
have
been
reading
about
it
in
that
woman
's
travels
.
Oh
,
here
they
are
,
and
I
must
n't
make
any
more
faces
.
Duchess
,
do
come
to
the
fire
.
I
hope
you
've
got
warm
again
.
This
is
my
cousin
,
Miss
Vavasor
.
"
The
Duchess
made
a
stiff
little
bow
of
condescension
,
and
then
declared
that
she
was
charmingly
warm
.
"
I
do
n't
know
how
you
manage
in
your
house
,
but
the
staircases
are
so
comfortable
.
Now
at
Longroyston
we
've
taken
all
the
trouble
in
the
world
,
—
put
down
hot-water
pipes
all
over
the
house
,
and
everything
else
that
could
be
thought
of
,
and
yet
,
you
ca
n't
move
about
the
place
without
meeting
with
draughts
at
every
corner
of
the
passages
.
"
The
Duchess
spoke
with
an
enormous
emphasis
on
every
other
word
,
sometimes
putting
so
great
a
stress
on
some
special
syllable
,
as
almost
to
bring
her
voice
to
a
whistle
.
This
she
had
done
with
the
word
"
pipes
"
to
a
great
degree
,
—
so
that
Alice
never
afterwards
forgot
the
hot-water
pipes
of
Longroyston
.
"
I
was
telling
Lady
Glencora
,
Miss
Palliser
,
that
I
never
knew
a
house
so
warm
as
this
,
—
or
,
I
'm
sorry
to
say
,
"
—
and
here
the
emphasis
was
very
strong
on
the
word
sorry
,
—
"
so
cold
as
Longroyston
.
"
And
the
tone
in
which
Longroyston
was
uttered
would
almost
have
drawn
tears
from
a
critical
audience
in
the
pit
of
a
playhouse
.
The
Duchess
was
a
woman
of
about
forty
,
very
handsome
,
but
with
no
meaning
in
her
beauty
,
carrying
a
good
fixed
colour
in
her
face
,
which
did
not
look
like
paint
,
but
which
probably
had
received
some
little
assistance
from
art
.
She
was
a
well-built
,
sizeable
woman
,
with
good
proportions
and
fine
health
,
—
but
a
fool
.
She
had
addressed
herself
to
one
Miss
Palliser
;
but
two
Miss
Pallisers
,
cousins
of
Plantagenet
Palliser
,
had
entered
the
room
at
the
same
time
,
of
whom
I
may
say
,
whatever
other
traits
of
character
they
may
have
possessed
,
that
at
any
rate
they
were
not
fools
.
"
It
's
always
easy
to
warm
a
small
house
like
this
,
"
said
Miss
Palliser
,
whose
Christian
names
,
unfortunately
for
her
,
were
Iphigenia
Theodata
,
and
who
by
her
cousin
and
sister
was
called
Iphy
—
"
and
I
suppose
equally
difficult
to
warm
a
large
one
such
as
Longroyston
.
"
The
other
Miss
Palliser
had
been
christened
Euphemia
.
"
We
've
got
no
pipes
,
Duchess
,
at
any
rate
,
"
said
Lady
Glencora
;
and
Alice
,
as
she
sat
listening
,
thought
she
discerned
in
Lady
Glencora
's
pronunciation
of
the
word
pipes
an
almost
hidden
imitation
of
the
Duchess
's
whistle
.
It
must
have
been
so
,
for
at
the
moment
Lady
Glencora
's
eye
met
Alice
's
for
an
instant
,
and
was
then
withdrawn
,
so
that
Alice
was
compelled
to
think
that
her
friend
and
cousin
was
not
always
quite
successful
in
those
struggles
she
made
to
be
proper
.
Then
the
gentlemen
came
in
one
after
another
,
and
other
ladies
,
till
about
thirty
people
were
assembled
.
Mr.
Palliser
came
up
and
spoke
another
word
to
Alice
in
a
kind
voice
,
—
meant
to
express
some
sense
of
connection
if
not
cousinship
.
"
My
wife
has
been
thinking
so
much
of
your
coming
.
I
hope
we
shall
be
able
to
amuse
you
.
"
Alice
,
who
had
already
begun
to
feel
desolate
,
was
grateful
,
and
made
up
her
mind
that
she
would
try
to
like
Mr.
Palliser
.
Jeffrey
Palliser
was
almost
the
last
in
the
room
,
but
directly
he
entered
Lady
Glencora
got
up
from
her
seat
,
and
met
him
as
he
was
coming
into
the
crowd
.
"
You
must
take
my
cousin
,
Alice
Vavasor
,
in
to
dinner
,
"
she
said
,
"
and
;
—
will
you
oblige
me
to-day
?
"
"
Yes
;
—
as
you
ask
me
like
that
.
"
"
Then
try
to
make
her
comfortable
.
"
After
that
she
introduced
them
,
and
Jeffrey
Palliser
stood
opposite
to
Alice
,
talking
to
her
,
till
dinner
was
announced
.
CHAPTER
XXIII
.
Dinner
at
Matching
Priory
.
Alice
found
herself
seated
near
to
Lady
Glencora
's
end
of
the
table
,
and
,
in
spite
of
her
resolution
to
like
Mr.
Palliser
,
she
was
not
sorry
that
such
an
arrangement
had
been
made
.
Mr.
Palliser
had
taken
the
Duchess
out
to
dinner
,
and
Alice
wished
to
be
as
far
removed
as
possible
from
her
Grace
.
She
found
herself
seated
between
her
bespoken
friend
Jeffrey
Palliser
and
the
Duke
,
and
as
soon
as
she
was
seated
Lady
Glencora
introduced
her
to
her
second
neighbour
.
"
My
cousin
,
Duke
,
"
Lady
Glencora
said
,
"
and
a
terrible
Radical
.
"
"
Oh
,
indeed
;
I
'm
glad
of
that
.
We
're
sadly
in
want
of
a
few
leading
Radicals
,
and
perhaps
I
may
be
able
to
gain
one
now
.
"
Alice
thought
of
her
cousin
George
,
and
wished
that
he
,
instead
of
herself
,
was
sitting
next
to
the
Duke
of
St.
Bungay
.
"
But
I
'm
afraid
I
never
shall
be
a
leading
Radical
,
"
she
said
.
"
You
shall
lead
me
at
any
rate
,
if
you
will
,
"
said
he
.
"
As
the
little
dogs
lead
the
blind
men
,
"
said
Lady
Glencora
.
"
No
,
Lady
Glencora
,
not
so
.
But
as
the
pretty
women
lead
the
men
who
have
eyes
in
their
head
.
There
is
nothing
I
want
so
much
,
Miss
Vavasor
,
as
to
become
a
Radical
;
—
if
I
only
knew
how
.
"
"
I
think
it
's
very
easy
to
know
how
,
"
said
Alice
.
"
Do
you
?
I
do
n't
.
I
've
voted
for
every
liberal
measure
that
has
come
seriously
before
Parliament
since
I
had
a
seat
in
either
House
,
and
I
've
not
been
able
to
get
beyond
Whiggery
yet
.
"
"
Have
you
voted
for
the
ballot
?
"
asked
Alice
,
almost
trembling
at
her
own
audacity
as
she
put
the
question
.
"
Well
;
no
,
I
've
not
.
And
I
suppose
that
is
the
crux
.
But
the
ballot
has
never
been
seriously
brought
before
any
House
in
which
I
have
sat
.
I
hate
it
with
so
keen
a
private
hatred
,
that
I
doubt
whether
I
could
vote
for
it
.
"
"
But
the
Radicals
love
it
,
"
said
Alice
.
"
Palliser
,
"
said
the
Duke
,
speaking
loudly
from
his
end
of
the
table
,
"
I
'm
told
you
can
never
be
entitled
to
call
yourself
a
Radical
till
you
've
voted
for
the
ballot
.
"
"
I
do
n't
want
to
be
called
a
Radical
,
"
said
Mr.
Palliser
,
—
"
or
to
be
called
anything
at
all
.
"
"
Except
Chancellor
of
the
Exchequer
,
"
said
Lady
Glencora
in
a
low
voice
.
"
And
that
's
about
the
finest
ambition
by
which
a
man
can
be
moved
,
"
said
the
Duke
.
"
The
man
who
can
manage
the
purse-strings
of
this
country
can
manage
anything
.
"
Then
that
conversation
dropped
and
the
Duke
ate
his
dinner
.
"
I
was
especially
commissioned
to
amuse
you
,
"
said
Mr.
Jeffrey
Palliser
to
Alice
.
"
But
when
I
undertook
the
task
I
had
no
conception
that
you
would
be
calling
Cabinet
Ministers
over
the
coals
about
their
politics
.
"
"
I
did
nothing
of
the
kind
,
surely
,
Mr.
Palliser
.
I
suppose
all
Radicals
do
vote
for
the
ballot
,
and
that
's
why
I
said
it
.
"
"
Your
definition
was
perfectly
just
,
I
dare
say
,
only
—
"
"
Only
what
?
"
"
Lady
Glencora
need
not
have
been
so
anxious
to
provide
specially
for
your
amusement
.
Not
but
what
I
'm
very
much
obliged
to
her
,
—
of
course
.
But
Miss
Vavasor
,
unfortunately
I
'm
not
a
politician
.
I
have
n't
a
chance
of
a
seat
in
the
House
,
and
so
I
despise
politics
.
"
"
Women
are
not
allowed
to
be
politicians
in
this
country
.
"
"
Thank
God
,
they
ca
n't
do
much
in
that
way
;
—
not
directly
,
I
mean
.
Only
think
where
we
should
be
if
we
had
a
feminine
House
of
Commons
,
with
feminine
debates
,
carried
on
,
of
course
,
with
feminine
courtesy
.
My
cousins
Iphy
and
Phemy
there
would
of
course
be
members
.
You
do
n't
know
them
yet
?
"
"
No
;
not
yet
.
Are
they
politicians
?
"
"
Not
especially
.
They
have
their
tendencies
,
which
are
decidedly
liberal
.
There
has
never
been
a
Tory
Palliser
known
,
you
know
.
But
they
are
too
clever
to
give
themselves
up
to
anything
in
which
they
can
do
nothing
.
Being
women
they
live
a
depressed
life
,
devoting
themselves
to
literature
,
fine
arts
,
social
economy
,
and
the
abstract
sciences
.
They
write
wonderful
letters
;
but
I
believe
their
correspondence
lists
are
quite
full
,
so
that
you
have
no
chance
at
present
of
getting
on
either
of
them
.
"
"
I
have
n't
the
slightest
pretension
to
ask
for
such
an
honour
.
"
"
Oh
!
if
you
mean
because
you
do
n't
know
them
,
that
has
nothing
to
do
with
it
.
"
"
But
I
have
no
claim
either
private
or
public
.
"
"
That
has
nothing
to
do
with
it
either
.
They
do
n't
at
all
seek
people
of
note
as
their
correspondents
.
Free
communication
with
all
the
world
is
their
motto
,
and
Rowland
Hill
is
the
god
they
worship
.
Only
they
have
been
forced
to
guard
themselves
against
too
great
an
accession
of
paper
and
ink
.
Are
you
fond
of
writing
letters
,
Miss
Vavasor
?
"
"
Yes
,
to
my
friends
;
but
I
like
getting
them
better
.
"
"
I
shrewdly
suspect
they
do
n't
read
half
what
they
get
.
Is
it
possible
any
one
should
go
through
two
sheets
of
paper
filled
by
our
friend
the
Duchess
there
?
No
;
their
delight
is
in
writing
.
They
sit
each
at
her
desk
after
breakfast
,
and
go
on
till
lunch
.
There
is
a
little
rivalry
between
them
,
not
expressed
to
each
other
,
but
visible
to
their
friends
.
Iphy
certainly
does
get
off
the
greater
number
,
and
I
'm
told
crosses
quite
as
often
as
Phemy
,
but
then
she
has
the
advantage
of
a
bolder
and
larger
hand
.
"
"
Do
they
write
to
you
?
"
"
Oh
,
dear
no.
I
do
n't
think
they
ever
write
to
any
relative
.
They
do
n't
discuss
family
affairs
and
such
topics
as
that
.
Architecture
goes
a
long
way
with
them
,
and
whether
women
ought
to
be
clerks
in
public
offices
.
Iphy
has
certain
American
correspondents
that
take
up
much
of
her
time
,
but
she
acknowledges
she
does
not
read
their
letters
.
"
"
Then
I
certainly
shall
not
write
to
her
.
"
"
But
you
are
not
American
,
I
hope
.
I
do
hate
the
Americans
.
It
's
the
only
strong
political
feeling
I
have
.
I
went
there
once
,
and
found
I
could
n't
live
with
them
on
any
terms
.
"
"
But
they
please
themselves
.
I
do
n't
see
they
are
to
be
hated
because
they
do
n't
live
after
our
fashion
.
"
"
Oh
;
it
's
jealousy
of
course
.
I
know
that
.
I
did
n't
come
across
a
cab-driver
who
was
n't
a
much
better
educated
man
than
I
am
.
And
as
for
their
women
,
they
know
everything
.
But
I
hated
them
,
and
I
intend
to
hate
them
.
You
have
n't
been
there
?
"
"
Oh
no.
"
"
Then
I
will
make
bold
to
say
that
any
English
lady
who
spent
a
month
with
them
and
did
n't
hate
them
would
have
very
singular
tastes
.
I
begin
to
think
they
'll
eat
each
other
up
,
and
then
there
'll
come
an
entirely
new
set
of
people
of
a
different
sort
.
I
always
regarded
the
States
as
a
Sodom
and
Gomorrah
,
prospering
in
wickedness
,
on
which
fire
and
brimstone
were
sure
to
fall
sooner
or
later
.
"
"
I
think
that
's
wicked
.
"
"
I
am
wicked
,
as
Topsy
used
to
say
.
Do
you
hunt
?
"
"
No.
"
"
Do
you
shoot
?
"
"
Shoot
!
What
;
with
a
gun
?
"
"
Yes
.
I
was
staying
in
a
house
last
week
with
a
lady
who
shot
a
good
deal
.
"
"
No
;
I
do
n't
shoot
.
"
"
Do
you
ride
?
"
"
No
;
I
wish
I
did
.
I
have
never
ridden
because
I
've
no
one
to
ride
with
me
.
"
"
Do
you
drive
?
"
"
No
;
I
do
n't
drive
either
.
"
"
Then
what
do
you
do
?
"
"
I
sit
at
home
,
and
—
"
"
Mend
your
stockings
?
"
"
No
;
I
do
n't
do
that
,
because
it
's
disagreeable
;
but
I
do
work
a
good
deal
.
Sometimes
I
have
amused
myself
by
reading
.
"
"
Ah
;
they
never
do
that
here
.
I
have
heard
that
there
is
a
library
,
but
the
clue
to
it
has
been
lost
,
and
nobody
now
knows
the
way
.
I
do
n't
believe
in
libraries
.
Nobody
ever
goes
into
a
library
to
read
,
any
more
than
you
would
into
a
larder
to
eat
.
But
there
is
this
difference
;
—
the
food
you
consume
does
come
out
of
the
larders
,
but
the
books
you
read
never
come
out
of
the
libraries
.
"
"
Except
Mudie
's
,
"
said
Alice
.
"
Ah
,
yes
;
he
is
the
great
librarian
.
And
you
mean
to
read
all
the
time
you
are
here
,
Miss
Vavasor
?
"
"
I
mean
to
walk
about
the
priory
ruins
sometimes
.
"
"
Then
you
must
go
by
moonlight
,
and
I
'll
go
with
you
.
Only
is
n't
it
rather
late
in
the
year
for
that
?
"
"
I
should
think
it
is
,
—
for
you
,
Mr.
Palliser
.
"
Then
the
Duke
spoke
to
her
again
,
and
she
found
that
she
got
on
very
well
during
dinner
.
But
she
could
not
but
feel
angry
with
herself
in
that
she
had
any
fear
on
the
subject
;
—
and
yet
she
could
not
divest
herself
of
that
fear
.
She
acknowledged
to
herself
that
she
was
conscious
of
a
certain
inferiority
to
Lady
Glencora
and
to
Mr.
Jeffrey
Palliser
,
which
almost
made
her
unhappy
.
As
regarded
the
Duke
on
the
other
side
of
her
,
she
had
no
such
feeling
.
He
was
old
enough
to
be
her
father
,
and
was
a
Cabinet
Minister
;
therefore
he
was
entitled
to
her
reverence
.
But
how
was
it
that
she
could
not
help
accepting
the
other
people
round
her
as
being
indeed
superior
to
herself
?
Was
she
really
learning
to
believe
that
she
could
grow
upwards
by
their
sunlight
?
"
Jeffrey
is
a
pleasant
fellow
,
is
he
not
?
"
said
Lady
Glencora
to
her
as
they
passed
back
through
the
billiard-room
to
the
drawing-room
.
"
Very
pleasant
;
—
a
little
sarcastic
,
perhaps
.
"
"
I
should
think
you
would
soon
find
yourself
able
to
get
the
better
of
that
if
he
tries
it
upon
you
,
"
said
Lady
Glencora
;
and
then
the
ladies
were
all
in
the
drawing-room
together
.
"
It
is
quite
deliciously
warm
,
coming
from
one
room
to
another
,
"
said
the
Duchess
,
putting
her
emphasis
on
the
"
one
"
and
the
"
other
.
"
"
Then
we
had
better
keep
continually
moving
,
"
said
a
certain
Mrs.
Conway
Sparkes
,
a
literary
lady
,
who
had
been
very
handsome
,
who
was
still
very
clever
,
who
was
not
perhaps
very
good-natured
,
and
of
whom
the
Duchess
of
St.
Bungay
was
rather
afraid
.
"
I
hope
we
may
be
warm
here
too
,
"
said
Lady
Glencora
.
"
But
not
deliciously
warm
,
"
said
Mrs.
Conway
Sparkes
.
"
It
makes
me
tremble
in
every
limb
when
Mrs.
Sparkes
attacks
her
,
"
Lady
Glencora
said
to
Alice
in
Alice
's
own
room
that
night
,
"
for
I
know
she
'll
tell
the
Duke
;
and
he
'll
tell
that
tall
man
with
red
hair
whom
you
see
standing
about
,
and
the
tall
man
with
red
hair
will
tell
Mr.
Palliser
,
and
then
I
shall
catch
it
.
"
"
And
who
is
the
tall
man
with
red
hair
?
"
"
He
's
a
political
link
between
the
Duke
and
Mr.
Palliser
.
His
name
is
Bott
,
and
he
's
a
Member
of
Parliament
.
"
"
But
why
should
he
interfere
?
"
"
I
suppose
it
's
his
business
.
I
do
n't
quite
understand
all
the
ins
and
outs
of
it
.
I
believe
he
's
to
be
one
of
Mr.
Palliser
's
private
secretaries
if
he
becomes
Chancellor
of
the
Exchequer
.
Perhaps
he
does
n't
tell
;
—
only
I
think
he
does
all
the
same
.
He
always
calls
me
Lady
Glen-cowrer
.
He
comes
out
of
Lancashire
,
and
made
calico
as
long
as
he
could
get
any
cotton
.
"
But
this
happened
in
the
bedroom
,
and
we
must
go
back
for
a
while
to
the
drawing-room
.
The
Duchess
had
made
no
answer
to
Mrs.
Sparkes
,
and
so
nothing
further
was
said
about
the
warmth
.
Nor
,
indeed
,
was
there
any
conversation
that
was
comfortably
general
.
The
number
of
ladies
in
the
room
was
too
great
for
that
,
and
ladies
do
not
divide
themselves
nicely
into
small
parties
,
as
men
and
women
do
when
they
are
mixed
.
Lady
Glencora
behaved
pretty
by
telling
the
Duchess
all
about
her
pet
pheasants
;
Mrs.
Conway
Sparkes
told
ill-natured
tales
of
some
one
to
Miss
Euphemia
Palliser
;
one
of
the
Duchess
's
daughters
walked
off
to
a
distant
piano
with
an
admiring
friend
and
touched
a
few
notes
;
while
Iphigenia
Palliser
boldly
took
up
a
book
,
and
placed
herself
at
a
table
.
Alice
,
who
was
sitting
opposite
to
Lady
Glencora
,
began
to
speculate
whether
she
might
do
the
same
;
but
her
courage
failed
her
,
and
she
sat
on
,
telling
herself
that
she
was
out
of
her
element
.
"
Alice
Vavasor
,
"
said
Lady
Glencora
after
a
while
,
suddenly
,
and
in
a
somewhat
loud
voice
,
"
can
you
play
billiards
?
"
"
No
,
"
said
Alice
,
rather
startled
.
"
Then
you
shall
learn
to-night
,
and
if
nobody
else
will
teach
you
,
you
shall
be
my
pupil
.
"
Whereupon
Lady
Glencora
rang
the
bell
and
ordered
that
the
billiard-table
might
be
got
ready
.
"
You
'll
play
,
Duchess
,
of
course
,
"
said
Lady
Glencora
.
"
It
is
so
nice
and
warm
,
that
I
think
I
will
,
"
said
the
Duchess
;
but
as
she
spoke
she
looked
suspiciously
to
that
part
of
the
room
where
Mrs.
Conway
Sparkes
was
sitting
.
"
Let
us
all
play
,
"
said
Mrs.
Conway
Sparkes
,
"
and
then
it
will
be
nicer
,
—
and
perhaps
warmer
,
too
.
"
The
gentlemen
joined
them
just
as
they
were
settling
themselves
round
the
table
,
and
as
many
of
them
stayed
there
,
the
billiard-room
became
full
.
Alice
had
first
a
cue
put
into
her
hand
,
and
making
nothing
of
that
was
permitted
to
play
with
a
mace
.
The
duty
of
instructing
her
devolved
on
Jeffrey
Palliser
,
and
the
next
hour
passed
pleasantly
;
—
not
so
pleasantly
,
she
thought
afterwards
,
as
did
some
of
those
hours
in
Switzerland
when
her
cousins
were
with
her
.
After
all
,
she
could
get
more
out
of
her
life
with
such
associates
as
them
,
than
she
could
with
any
of
these
people
at
Matching
.
She
felt
quite
sure
of
that
;
—
though
Jeffrey
Palliser
did
take
great
trouble
to
teach
her
the
game
,
and
once
or
twice
made
her
laugh
heartily
by
quizzing
the
Duchess
's
attitude
as
she
stood
up
to
make
her
stroke
.
"
I
wish
I
could
play
billiards
,
"
said
Mrs.
Sparkes
,
on
one
of
these
occasions
;
"
I
do
indeed
.
"
"
I
thought
you
said
you
were
coming
to
play
,
"
said
the
Duchess
,
almost
majestically
,
and
with
a
tone
of
triumph
evidently
produced
by
her
own
successes
.
"
Only
to
see
your
Grace
,
"
said
Mrs.
Sparkes
.
"
I
do
n't
know
that
there
is
anything
more
to
see
in
me
than
in
anybody
else
,
"
said
the
Duchess
.
"
Mr.
Palliser
,
that
was
a
cannon
.
Will
you
mark
that
for
our
side
?
"
"
Oh
no
,
Duchess
,
you
hit
the
same
ball
twice
.
"
"
Very
well
;
—
then
I
suppose
Miss
Vavasor
plays
now
.
That
was
a
miss.
Will
you
mark
that
,
if
you
please
?
"
This
latter
demand
was
made
with
great
stress
,
as
though
she
had
been
defrauded
in
the
matter
of
the
cannon
,
and
was
obeyed
.
Before
long
,
the
Duchess
,
with
her
partner
,
Lady
Glencora
,
won
the
game
,
—
which
fact
,
however
,
was
,
I
think
,
owing
rather
to
Alice
's
ignorance
than
to
her
Grace
's
skill
.
The
Duchess
,
however
,
was
very
triumphant
,
and
made
her
way
back
into
the
drawing-room
with
a
step
which
seemed
to
declare
loudly
that
she
had
trumped
Mrs.
Sparkes
at
last
.
Not
long
after
this
the
ladies
went
up-stairs
on
their
way
to
bed
.
Many
of
them
,
perhaps
,
did
not
go
to
their
pillows
at
once
,
as
it
was
as
yet
not
eleven
o'clock
,
and
it
was
past
ten
when
they
all
came
down
to
breakfast
.
At
any
rate
,
Alice
,
who
had
been
up
at
seven
,
did
not
go
to
bed
then
,
nor
for
the
next
two
hours
.
"
I
'll
come
into
your
room
just
for
one
minute
,
"
Lady
Glencora
said
as
she
passed
on
from
the
door
to
her
own
room
;
and
in
about
five
minutes
she
was
back
with
her
cousin
.
"
Would
you
mind
going
into
my
room
—
it
's
just
there
,
and
sitting
with
Ellen
for
a
minute
?
"
This
Lady
Glencora
said
in
the
sweetest
possible
tone
to
the
girl
who
was
waiting
on
Alice
;
and
then
,
when
they
were
alone
together
,
she
got
into
a
little
chair
by
the
fireside
and
prepared
herself
for
conversation
.
"
I
must
keep
you
up
for
a
quarter
of
an
hour
while
I
tell
you
something
.
But
first
of
all
,
how
do
you
like
the
people
?
Will
you
be
able
to
be
comfortable
with
them
?
"
Alice
of
course
said
that
she
thought
she
would
;
and
then
there
came
that
little
discussion
in
which
the
duties
of
Mr.
Bott
,
the
man
with
the
red
hair
,
were
described
.
"
But
I
've
got
something
to
tell
you
,
"
said
Lady
Glencora
,
when
they
had
already
been
there
some
twenty
minutes
.
"
Sit
down
opposite
to
me
,
and
look
at
the
fire
while
I
look
at
you
.
"
"
Is
it
anything
terrible
?
"
"
It
's
nothing
wrong
.
"
"
Oh
,
Lady
Glencora
,
if
it
's
—
"
"
I
wo
n't
have
you
call
me
Lady
Glencora
.
Do
n't
I
call
you
Alice
?
Why
are
you
so
unkind
to
me
?
I
have
not
come
to
you
now
asking
you
to
do
for
me
anything
that
you
ought
not
to
do
.
"
"
But
you
are
going
to
tell
me
something
.
"
Alice
felt
sure
that
the
thing
to
be
told
would
have
some
reference
to
Mr.
Fitzgerald
,
and
she
did
not
wish
to
hear
Mr.
Fitzgerald
's
name
from
her
cousin
's
lips
.
"
Tell
you
something
;
—
of
course
I
am
.
I
'm
going
to
tell
you
that
,
—
that
in
writing
to
you
the
other
day
I
wrote
a
fib
.
But
it
was
n't
that
I
wished
to
deceive
you
;
—
only
I
could
n't
say
it
all
in
a
letter
.
"
"
Say
all
what
?
"
"
You
know
I
confessed
that
I
had
been
very
bad
in
not
coming
to
you
in
London
last
year
.
"
"
I
never
thought
of
it
for
a
moment
.
"
"
You
did
not
care
whether
I
came
or
not
:
was
that
it
?
But
never
mind
.
Why
should
you
have
cared
?
But
I
cared
.
I
told
you
in
my
letter
that
I
did
n't
come
because
I
had
so
many
things
on
hand
.
Of
course
that
was
a
fib
.
"
"
Everybody
makes
excuses
of
that
kind
,
"
said
Alice
.
"
But
they
do
n't
make
them
to
the
very
people
of
all
others
whom
they
want
to
know
and
love
.
I
was
longing
to
come
to
you
every
day
.
But
I
feared
I
could
not
come
without
speaking
of
him
;
—
and
I
had
determined
never
to
speak
of
him
again
.
"
This
she
said
in
that
peculiar
low
voice
which
she
assumed
at
times
.
"
Then
why
do
it
now
,
Lady
Glencora
?
"
"
I
wo
n't
be
called
Lady
Glencora
.
Call
me
Cora
.
I
had
a
sister
once
,
older
than
I
,
and
she
used
to
call
me
Cora
.
If
she
had
lived
—
.
But
never
mind
that
now
.
She
did
n't
live
.
I
'll
tell
you
why
I
do
it
now
.
Because
I
cannot
help
it
.
Besides
,
I
've
met
him
.
I
've
been
in
the
same
room
with
him
,
and
have
spoken
to
him
.
What
's
the
good
of
any
such
resolution
now
?
"
"
And
you
have
met
him
?
"
"
Yes
;
he
—
Mr.
Palliser
—
knew
all
about
it
.
When
he
talked
of
taking
me
to
the
house
,
I
whispered
to
him
that
I
thought
Burgo
would
be
there
.
"
"
Do
not
call
him
by
his
Christian
name
,
"
said
Alice
,
almost
with
a
shudder
.
"
Why
not
?
—
why
not
his
Christian
name
?
I
did
when
I
told
my
husband
.
Or
perhaps
I
said
Burgo
Fitzgerald
.
"
"
Well
.
"
"
And
he
bade
me
go
.
He
said
it
did
n't
signify
,
and
that
I
had
better
learn
to
bear
it
.
Bear
it
,
indeed
!
If
I
am
to
meet
him
,
and
speak
to
him
,
and
look
at
him
,
surely
I
may
mention
his
name
.
"
And
then
she
paused
for
an
answer
.
"
May
I
not
?
"
"
What
am
I
to
say
?
"
exclaimed
Alice
.
"
Anything
you
please
,
that
's
not
a
falsehood
.
But
I
've
got
you
here
because
I
do
n't
think
you
will
tell
a
falsehood
.
Oh
,
Alice
,
I
do
so
want
to
go
right
,
and
it
is
so
hard
!
"
Hard
,
indeed
,
poor
creature
,
for
one
so
weighted
as
she
had
been
,
and
sent
out
into
the
world
with
so
small
advantages
of
previous
training
or
of
present
friendship
!
Alice
began
to
feel
now
that
she
had
been
enticed
to
Matching
Priory
because
her
cousin
wanted
a
friend
,
and
of
course
she
could
not
refuse
to
give
the
friendship
that
was
asked
from
her
.
She
got
up
from
her
chair
,
and
kneeling
down
at
the
other
's
feet
put
up
her
face
and
kissed
her
.
"
I
knew
you
would
be
good
to
me
,
"
said
Lady
Glencora
.
"
I
knew
you
would
.
And
you
may
say
whatever
you
like
.
But
I
could
not
bear
that
you
should
not
know
the
real
reason
why
I
neither
came
to
you
nor
sent
for
you
after
we
went
to
London
.
You
'll
come
to
me
now
;
wo
n't
you
,
dear
?
"
"
Yes
;
—
and
you
'll
come
to
me
,
"
said
Alice
,
making
in
her
mind
a
sort
of
bargain
that
she
was
not
to
be
received
into
Mr.
Palliser
's
house
after
the
fashion
in
which
Lady
Midlothian
had
proposed
to
receive
her
.
But
it
struck
her
at
once
that
this
was
unworthy
of
her
,
and
ungenerous
.
"
But
I
'll
come
to
you
,
"
she
added
,
"
whether
you
come
to
me
or
not
.
"
"
I
will
go
to
you
,
"
said
Lady
Glencora
,
"
of
course
,
—
why
should
n't
I
?
But
you
know
what
I
mean
.
We
shall
have
dinners
and
parties
and
lots
of
people
.
"
"
And
we
shall
have
none
,
"
said
Alice
,
smiling
.
"
And
therefore
there
is
so
much
more
excuse
for
your
coming
to
me
;
—
or
rather
I
mean
so
much
more
reason
,
for
I
do
n't
want
excuses
.
Well
,
dear
,
I
'm
so
glad
I
've
told
you
.
I
was
afraid
to
see
you
in
London
.
I
should
hardly
have
known
how
to
look
at
you
then
.
But
I
've
got
over
that
now
.
"
Then
she
smiled
and
returned
the
kiss
which
Alice
had
given
her
.
It
was
singular
to
see
her
standing
on
the
bedroom
rug
with
all
her
magnificence
of
dress
,
but
with
her
hair
pushed
back
behind
her
ears
,
and
her
eyes
red
with
tears
,
—
as
though
the
burden
of
the
magnificence
remained
to
her
after
its
purpose
was
over
.
"
I
declare
it
's
ever
so
much
past
twelve
.
Good
night
,
now
,
dear
.
I
wonder
whether
he
's
come
up
.
But
I
should
have
heard
his
step
if
he
had
.
He
never
treads
lightly
.
He
seldom
gives
over
work
till
after
one
,
and
sometimes
goes
on
till
three
.
It
's
the
only
thing
he
likes
,
I
believe
.
God
bless
you
!
good
night
.
I
've
such
a
deal
more
to
say
to
you
;
and
Alice
,
you
must
tell
me
something
about
yourself
,
too
;
wo
n't
you
,
dear
?
"
Then
without
waiting
for
an
answer
Lady
Glencora
went
,
leaving
Alice
in
a
maze
of
bewilderment
.
She
could
hardly
believe
that
all
she
had
heard
,
and
all
she
had
done
,
had
happened
since
she
left
Queen
Anne
Street
that
morning
.
CHAPTER
XXIV
.
Three
Politicians
.
Mr.
Palliser
was
one
of
those
politicians
in
possessing
whom
England
has
perhaps
more
reason
to
be
proud
than
of
any
other
of
her
resources
,
and
who
,
as
a
body
,
give
to
her
that
exquisite
combination
of
conservatism
and
progress
which
is
her
present
strength
and
best
security
for
the
future
.
He
could
afford
to
learn
to
be
a
statesman
,
and
had
the
industry
wanted
for
such
training
.
He
was
born
in
the
purple
,
noble
himself
,
and
heir
to
the
highest
rank
as
well
as
one
of
the
greatest
fortunes
of
the
country
,
already
very
rich
,
surrounded
by
all
the
temptations
of
luxury
and
pleasure
;
and
yet
he
devoted
himself
to
work
with
the
grinding
energy
of
a
young
penniless
barrister
labouring
for
a
penniless
wife
,
and
did
so
without
any
motive
more
selfish
than
that
of
being
counted
in
the
roll
of
the
public
servants
of
England
.
He
was
not
a
brilliant
man
,
and
understood
well
that
such
was
the
case
.
He
was
now
listened
to
in
the
House
,
as
the
phrase
goes
;
but
he
was
listened
to
as
a
laborious
man
,
who
was
in
earnest
in
what
he
did
,
who
got
up
his
facts
with
accuracy
,
and
who
,
dull
though
he
be
,
was
worthy
of
confidence
.
And
he
was
very
dull
.
He
rather
prided
himself
on
being
dull
,
and
on
conquering
in
spite
of
his
dullness
.
He
never
allowed
himself
a
joke
in
his
speeches
,
nor
attempted
even
the
smallest
flourish
of
rhetoric
.
He
was
very
careful
in
his
language
,
labouring
night
and
day
to
learn
to
express
himself
with
accuracy
,
with
no
needless
repetition
of
words
,
perspicuously
with
regard
to
the
special
object
he
might
have
in
view
.
He
had
taught
himself
to
believe
that
oratory
,
as
oratory
,
was
a
sin
against
that
honesty
in
politics
by
which
he
strove
to
guide
himself
.
He
desired
to
use
words
for
the
purpose
of
teaching
things
which
he
knew
and
which
others
did
not
know
;
and
he
desired
also
to
be
honoured
for
his
knowledge
.
But
he
had
no
desire
to
be
honoured
for
the
language
in
which
his
knowledge
was
conveyed
.
He
was
an
upright
,
thin
,
laborious
man
;
who
by
his
parts
alone
could
have
served
no
political
party
materially
,
but
whose
parts
were
sufficient
to
make
his
education
,
integrity
,
and
industry
useful
in
the
highest
degree
.
It
is
the
trust
which
such
men
inspire
which
makes
them
so
serviceable
;
—
trust
not
only
in
their
labour
,
—
for
any
man
rising
from
the
mass
of
the
people
may
be
equally
laborious
;
nor
yet
simply
in
their
honesty
and
patriotism
.
The
confidence
is
given
to
their
labour
,
honesty
,
and
patriotism
joined
to
such
a
personal
stake
in
the
country
as
gives
them
a
weight
and
ballast
which
no
politician
in
England
can
possess
without
it
.
If
he
was
dull
as
a
statesman
he
was
more
dull
in
private
life
,
and
it
may
be
imagined
that
such
a
woman
as
his
wife
would
find
some
difficulty
in
making
his
society
the
source
of
her
happiness
.
Their
marriage
,
in
a
point
of
view
regarding
business
,
had
been
a
complete
success
,
—
and
a
success
,
too
,
when
on
the
one
side
,
that
of
Lady
Glencora
,
there
had
been
terrible
dangers
of
shipwreck
,
and
when
on
his
side
also
there
had
been
some
little
fears
of
a
mishap
.
As
regards
her
it
has
been
told
how
near
she
went
to
throwing
herself
,
with
all
her
vast
wealth
,
into
the
arms
of
a
young
man
,
whom
no
father
,
no
guardian
could
have
regarded
as
a
well-chosen
husband
for
any
girl
;
—
one
who
as
yet
had
shown
no
good
qualities
,
who
had
been
a
spendthrift
,
unprincipled
,
and
debauched
.
Alas
,
she
had
loved
him
!
It
is
possible
that
her
love
and
her
wealth
might
have
turned
him
from
evil
to
good
.
But
who
would
have
ventured
to
risk
her
,
—
I
will
not
say
her
and
her
vast
inheritances
,
—
on
such
a
chance
?
That
evil
,
however
,
had
been
prevented
,
and
those
about
her
had
managed
to
marry
her
to
a
young
man
,
very
steady
by
nature
,
with
worldly
prospects
as
brilliant
as
her
own
,
and
with
a
station
than
which
the
world
offers
nothing
higher
.
His
little
threatened
mischance
,
—
a
passing
fancy
for
a
married
lady
who
was
too
wise
to
receive
vows
which
were
proffered
not
in
the
most
ardent
manner
,
—
had
,
from
special
reasons
,
given
some
little
alarm
to
his
uncle
,
which
had
just
sufficed
at
the
time
to
make
so
very
judicious
a
marriage
doubly
pleasant
to
that
noble
duke
,
So
that
all
things
and
all
people
had
conspired
to
shower
substantial
comforts
on
the
heads
of
this
couple
,
when
they
were
joined
together
,
and
men
and
women
had
not
yet
ceased
to
declare
how
happy
were
both
in
the
accumulated
gifts
of
fortune
.
And
as
regards
Mr.
Palliser
,
I
think
that
his
married
life
,
and
the
wife
,
whom
he
certainly
had
not
chosen
,
but
who
had
dropped
upon
him
,
suited
him
admirably
.
He
wanted
great
wealth
for
that
position
at
which
he
aimed
.
He
had
been
rich
before
his
marriage
with
his
own
wealth
