ten as it had been in a hurry, while Robin post-boy was drinking a single mug of beer,- well, what of it if he half filled a second time?--was nevertheless eloquence of his wife's love and o

on Wednesday week. I have promised that for you. You will, won't you, dearest? I shall come and fetch you away if you attempt to stay longer than you have said. But I'm sure you won't. God bless you, my o

ie were there before them; as were also sundry other people, mostly of some note either in the estimation of the world at large or that of West Barsetshire. Lord Boanerges was there, an old man who would have his own way in everything, and who was regarded by all men - apparently even the duke himself - as an intellectual king, by no means of the constitutional kind - as an intellectual emperor, rather, who took upon himself to rule all questions of mind without the assistance of any ministers whatever. And Baron Brawl was of the party, one of Her Majesty's puisne Judges, as jovial a guest as eve

dour Street - was thronged with gentlemen and ladies, and gave forth unwonted echoes to many a footstep. His grace himself, when Mark arrived there with Sowerby and Miss Dunstable - for in th

, and leading her up to the fire, 'now I feel for the first

think so when his bill was paid.' And Miss Dunstable put her toes on the fender to warm them wi

ctest orders about the

rought him after all;

parrots are used to in their own country. Well, Miss Dunst

together. The truth was, I could n

Miss Dunstable, the honour you are doing me is shorn of ha

und as though she expected that somebody would certainly have brought her dog in after her. 'I declare I must go a

e, and the duke was able to welcome his other guests. This he did with much courtesy. 'Sower

ate. It was found necessary to carry him off to the palace, where he was obliged to undergo very vigorous treatment.' And then the duke shook hands with Mr Robarts, assuring him that he was most happy to

e was a second performance, was there not, who almost eclipsed poor Harold Smi

brother-inlaw for ever as a le

nd hearty congratulations on the success of his exercise at Barchester. Mark Robarts had now turned away, and his attention was suddenly arrested by the loud voice of

her, in company with a gentleman. The gentleman and lady, as it turned out, were husband and wife. 'Well - well - well! I hardly hoped for thi

go - let me see - I forget when, but it's all put down in a book upstairs. But the next stage is at Mrs Proudie's. I shan't meet you there, I suppose.

ut him. But talking of hounds, Frank, how badly they manage

g!' said the la

udie was out hunting too. But they didn't catch a single fox; an

ision of the county,' said

t to practise hunting I'll go to Gr

lady; 'you'll find quite as muc

n, you should add,'

'your discretion indeed! But you have n

uite well,' sai

I'll show it to you upstairs tomorrow. But, mind, it must be a positive secret. If he goes on in

at has h

f that. But if your wife will swear three times on a poker and tongs that she won'

gs nearly so,' said Frank's wife; 'but

now. But, Mary, mind you get near me this evening; I have such a de

from Miss Dunstable. And then Mark learned that this was young Frank Gresham of Boxall Hill, son of old Mr Gresham of Greshambury. Frank had lately married a great he

e. 'Birds of a feather flock together, you know. But they did say some lit

she might almost be

marry money, and I believe there is no doubt tha

s all your fault. You were to have told Lady Lufton before you did anything, and he was waiting to wri

found her in a proper humour for receiving it. If you knew Lady Lufton as well as I do,

o between you were afraid of an old woman! However, I have n

farm be

d so she sold five thousand pounds out of the funds and sent the money to Lufton as a present;- sent it to

, too, something of the purpose for which this money had gone. There had been unsettled gambling claims between Sowerby and Lord Lufton, originating in affairs of the turf. It had now been going on for four years, almost from the period when Lord Lufton had become of age. He had before now spoken to Robarts on the matter with much bitter anger, alleging that Mr Sowerby was treating him badly, nay, dishonestly - that he was claiming money that was not due to him; and then he declared more than once that he would bring the matter before the Jockey Club. But Mark, knowing that Lord Lufton was not clear-sighted in these matters, and believing it to be impossible that Mr Sowerby should actually endeavour to defraud his friend, had smoothed down the young lord's anger, and remonstrated him to get the case referred to some private arbiter. All this had afterwards bee

ke's grounds, still talking about Lord Lufton's affairs, and still listening with interest to what Sowerby told him of his own. 'No man was ever robbed as I have been,' said he. 'But I shall win through yet, in spite of them all. But those J

ry bit of paper with his name has been taken up, except what that ruffian Tozer has. Tozer may have one bill, I believe,- something that was not given up when it

, in all probabili

ng to Framley Court at once; you'

im at F

to pay back the dowager's hard moidores in soft caresses. I wish I had a mother; I know that.' And

he supported, and always carried, Whig candidates; and in return he had been appointed lord lieutenant of the county by one Whig minister, and had received the Garter from another. But these things were a matter of course to a Duke of Omnium. He was born to be a lord lieutenant and a Knight of the Garter. But not the less on account of his apathy, or rather quiescence, was it thought that Gatherum Castle was a fitting place in which politicians might express to each other their present hopes and future aims,

e days any credit for the success which was achieved under his orders. There was great reason to doubt the man at the helm. But nevertheless he had been lucky. There is no merit in a public man like success! But now, when the evil days were wellnigh over, came the question whether he had not been too successful. When a man has nailed fortune to his chariot-wheels he is apt to travel about in rather a proud fashion. There are servants who think that their masters cannot do without them; and the public also may occasionally have some

in our shells against h

ffairs must succumb to the terrible blows which are now in store for him. 'Yes, we will throw in our shells.' And Mr Supplehouse rises from his chair with gleaming eyes. 'Has not Greece as noble a son as him? Aye, and much nobler, t

us at all, now,' says the talented member for the Crewe-Junction. 'He's a great deal too u

Walker's uncle might not be of use to them; 'but the fact is one gets tired of the same man always. One does not like h

no voice of our own, I don't see what's the goo

aid Mr Sowerby. 'The matter's

reen Walker. 'That's wh

nly be too happy for the c

Sowerby, 'it's not very likely that they will obj

onishing how great becomes his trust in the wisdom of the public. Vox populi, vox Dei. 'Has it not been so always?' he says to himself, as he gets up and as he goes to bed. And then Mr Supplehouse felt that he was the master mind there at Gatherum Castle, and that those there were all puppets in his hands. It is such a pleasant thing to feel that one's friends are puppets, and that the strings are in one's own possession. But what if Mr Supplehouse himself were a puppet? Some months afterwards, when the much-belaboured head of affairs was in very truth made to retire, when unkind shells were thrown against him in great numbers, when he exclaimed, 'Et tu, Brute!' till the words were stereotyped upon his lips, all men in all places talked much about the great Gatherum Castle confederation. The Duke of Omnium, the world said, had taken into

onversation on politics either with Mr Supplehouse or with Mr Harold Smith. And as for Lord Boanerges, he spent the morning

in upon her mind. 'I always thought that a soap-bubble was a soap-bubb

the old lord, 'one does; but nin

it,' said Miss Dunstable. 'What pleasure can one have i

norance be bliss, 'tis folly to b

unstable be

t own Jeho

were all

lower as well? Perhaps one might help the other.' Upon the whole, I am afraid that Lord Boanerges

e would be one of the members for the East Riding. Now the duke had little or nothing to do with the East Riding, and it was well known that young Gresham would be brought forward as a strong Conservative. But, nevertheless, his acres were so extensive and

shire hounds at Boxall Hill;

e,' said Frank. 'But

under

ll more centrical than Greshambury. The dog

ll is very

exa

gorse coverts

n't thrive everywhere,

and then where there's much woodland

tree at Boxall Hil

ce. There's a larger extent of wood there than we have; isn't there, Fothergill?' Mr Foth

thergill. And then, again, nothing in East Barsetshire could be equal to anything in West Barsetshire. Isn't that

xall Hill are very

its pride alone,' said young Gresham, rather gra

in due time,'

And so they're going to cut down Chal

rest it. I have been ranger since I was twenty-two, a

wn, but rooting up,'

am; 'and I will say one thing, I don't thi

his,' he said, 'that if a Conservative government did do

owerby; 'put in an offer for the whole of the West Barse

whether the duke himself could purchase the chase of Chaldicotes with ready money; but that he, Gresham, could do so - he and his wife between them - no man did doubt. And then Mr Gresham thought of a former day when he had once been at Gathe

member of Parliament. He lived before the world, represented an old family, and had an old place. How could Miss Dunstable possibly do better? She was not so young now, and it was time that she should look about her. The suggestion, as regarded Mr Sowerby, was certainly true, and was not the less so as regarded some of Mr Sowerby's friends. His sister, Mrs Harold Smith, had devoted herself to the wor

uke, who held all Mr Sowerby's title-deeds, 'and

insufficient,' said Mr Fothergill; 'but

the publicity of his proceedings, proceeded in this matter very well. He said little about it, to those who joked with him, but carried on the fight with what best knowledge he had in these matters. But so much it is given to us to declare with certainty, that he had not proposed on the evening previous to the morning fixed for the departure of Mark Robarts. During the last two days Mr Sowerby's intimacy with Mark had grown warmer and warmer. He had talked to the vicar confidentially about the doings of these bigwigs now present at the castle, as though there were no other gues

low,' said he, 'the state of nerv

e done with it? She seems to m

' and then he walked once or twice up and down the room,

for a little ready money, just at the present moment. It may be, and indeed I thi

rold Smith gi

Smith. Did you ever hear of his len

upple

ark - I would do more for your little finger than for his whole hand, including the pen which he holds in it. Fothergill indeed might - but then I know Fothergill

for it,

ng that he was in his own bedroom. He had an idea that Mr Sowerby wished him to produce the L400, and he knew also that he had not L400 in the world, and

than this,' continued Mr Sowerb

paid five thousa

ole of that yet. Not that I mean to say a word against Lufton. He is the soul of honour; though so deucedly dilatory in money matters. He thought he

g that I thought

st me. I had to make good the money for two or three y

, and that will set i

Now, I tell you what, Mark, if you'll assist me at this strait I'll never forg

red, no, not fifty pou

in their pockets. I don't suppose there is a single man here in

it you wa

Allow me to draw on you for that amount at three months. Long before that time I shall be flush enough.' And then, before Mark could answer, h

owerby, I had ra

my having neglected to take up a bill when it fell due?' Robarts thought that he had hea

Accepted, Mark Robarts," across that, and then you shall never hea

would be wrong of

ore frequent on the backs of bills in the provincial banks than another, clergymen are that class. Come, old fellow, you won't throw me over when I am so hard pushed.' Mark Robarts took the p