第17章

Andtheneverythinghadgonebadlywithhimsincehismarriage。

Hewasapt，whenthinkingoverhisaffairs，toattributeallthistothefearsandhesitationandparsimonyofSextyParker。NoneofhislateventureswithSextyParkerhadbeensuccessful。AndnowSextywasinabadcondition，veryviolent，drinkinghard，declaringhimselftobearuinedman，andswearingthatifthisandthatwerenotdonehewouldhavebitterrevenge。Sextystillbelievedinthewealthofhispartner’sfather-in-law，andstillhadsomehopeofsalvationfromthatsource。Lopezwoulddeclaretohim，anduptothisverytimeperseveredinprotesting，thatsalvationwouldbefoundinBios。IfSextywouldonlyrisktwoorthreethousandpoundsmoreuponBios，——orhiscredittothatamountfailingtheimmediatemoney，——thingsmightstillberight。’Biosbed-d，’saidSexty，utteringastringofheavyimprecations。Onthatmorning，hehadbeentrustingtonativeproduceratherthantothenewAfricanspirit。Butnow，astheGuatemalaschemereallytookformandloomedonLopez’seyesightasathingthatmightbereal，heendeavouredtokeepoutofSexty’sway。Butinvain，SextytoohadheardofGuatemala，andinhismiseryhuntedLopezaboutthecity。’ByG-，Ibelieveyou’reafraidtocometoLittleTankardYard，’hesaidonday，havingcaughthisvictimundertheequestrianstatueinfrontoftheExchange。

’WhatisthegoodofmycomingwhenyouwilldonothingwhenIamthere？’

’I’lltellwhatitis，Lopez，——you’renotgoingoutofthecountryaboutthisminingbusiness，ifIknowit。’

’WhosaidIwas？’

’I’llputaspokeinyourwheelthere，myman。I’llgiveawrittenaccountofthedealingsbetweenustotheDirectors。ByG-，theyshallknowtheirman。’

’You’reanass，Sexty，andalwayswere。Lookhere。IfIcancarryonasthoughIweregoingtothisplace，Icandraw5，000

poundsfromoldWharton。Hehasalreadyofferedit。HehastreatedmewithastinginessthatIneverknewequalled。HadhedonewhatIhadarighttoexpect，youandIwouldhavebeenrichmennow。ButatlastIhavegotaholduponhimto5，000pounds。

AsyouandIstand，prettynearlythewholeofthatwillgotoyou。Butdon’tyouspoilitallbymakinganassofyourself。’

Sexty，whowasthreepartsdrunk，lookedupintohisfaceforafewseconds，andthenmadehisreply。’I’md-difIbelieveawordofit。’UponthatLopezaffectedtolaugh，andthenmadehisescape。

Allthis，asIhavesaid，didnottendtomakehislifehappy。

Thoughhehadimpudenceenough，andcallousnessofconscienceenoughtogethisbillspaidbyMrWhartonasoftenashecould，hewasnotquiteeasyinhismindwhilehewasdoingso。Hisambitionhadneverbeenhigh，butithadsoaredhigherthanthat。

Hehadhadgreathopes。Hehadlivedwithsomehighpeople。Hehaddinedwithlordsandladies。HehadbeentheguestofaDuchess。Hehadmarriedthedaughterofagentleman。HehadnearlybeenamemberofParliament。Hestillbelongedtowhatheconsideredtobeafirst-rateclub。FromagreataltitudehelookeddownuponSextyParkerandmenofSexty’sclass，becauseofhissocialsuccesses，andbecauseheknewhowtotalkandtolooklikeagentleman。Itwasunpleasanttohim，therefore，tobedriventothelifehewasnowliving。AndtheideaofgoingtoGuatemalaandburyinghimselfinamineinCentralAmericawasnottohimahappyidea。Inspiteofallthathehaddonehehadstillsomehopethathemightavoidthebanishment。HehadspokenthetruthtoSextyParkerinsayingthatheintendedtogetthe5，000poundsfromMrWhartonwithoutthatterriblepersonalsacrifice，thoughhehadhardlyspokenthetruthwhenheassuredhisfriendthatthegreaterportionofthatmoneywouldgotohim。Thereweremanyschemesfluctuatingthroughhisbrain，andallaccompaniedbymanydoubts。IfhecouldgetMrWharton’smoneybygivinguphiswife，shouldheconsenttogiveherup？Ineithercaseshouldhestayorshouldhego？ShouldherunonefurthergreatchancewithBios，——andifso，bywhoseassistance？Andifheshouldatleastdecidethathewoulddosobytheaidofacertainfriendthatwasyetlefttohim，shouldhethrowhimselfatthatfriend’sfeet，thefriendbeingalady，andproposetodeserthiswifeandbegintheworldagainwithher？Fortheladyinquestionwasaladyinpossession，ashebelieved，ofverylargemeans。Orshouldhecuthisthroatandhavedonewithallhistroubles，acknowledgingtohimselfthathiscareerhadbeenafailure，andthat，therefore，itmightbebroughtwithadvantagetoanend？’Afterall，’saidhetohimself，’thatmaybethebestwayofwindingupabankruptconcern。’

OuroldfriendLadyEustace，inthesedays，livedinaverysmallhouseinaverysmallstreetborderinguponMayfair。butthestreet，thoughverysmall，andhavingdisagreeablerelationswithamews，stillhadanairoffashionaboutit。Andwithherlivedthewidow，MrsLeslie，whohadintroducedMrsDickRoby，andthroughMrsRoby，toFerdinandLopez。LadyEustacewasintheenjoymentofahandsomeincome，asIhopethatsomeofmyreadersmayremember，——andthisincome，duringthelastyearortwo，shehadlearnedtofoster，ifnotwithmuchdiscretion，atanyratewithgreatzeal。Duringhershortlifeshehadhadmanyaspirations。Love，poetry，sport，religion，fashion，Bohemianismhadallbeentried。butineachcrisistherehadbeenacertaincareforwealthwhichhadsavedherfromthefollyofsquanderingwhatshehadwonbyherearlyenergiesinthepursuitofherthenprevailingpassion。Shehadgivenhermoneytonolover，hadnotlostitonrace-courses，orinbuildingchurches，——norevenhadshemateriallydamagedherresourcesbyservantsandequipages。

Atthepresenttimeshewasstillyoung，andstillpretty，——

thoughherhairandcomplexiontookrathermoretimethaninthedayswhenshewonSirFlorianEustace。Shestilllikedalover，——orperhapstwo，——thoughshehadthoroughlyconvincedherselfthatalovermaybeboughttoodear。Shecouldstillrideahorse，thoughhuntingregularlywastooexpensiveforher。Shecouldtalkofreligionifshecouldfindherselfclosetoawell-

got-upclergyman，——beingquiteindifferentastothedenominationofthereligion。Butperhapsawilddashforatimeintofastvulgaritywaswhatinherheartofheartsshelikedbest，——onlythatitwassodifficulttoenjoythepleasureswithoutriskoflosingeverything。Andthen，togetherwiththesepassions，andperhapsabovethemall，therehadlatelysprungupintheheartofLadyEustaceadesiretomultiplyhermeansbysuccessfulspeculation。ThiswasthefriendwithwhomFerdinandLopezhadlatelybecomeintimate，andbywhoseaidhehopedtoextricatehimselffromsomeofhisdifficulties。

PoorashewashehadcontrivedtobribeMrsLesliebyhandsomepresentsoutofBondStreet——for，ashestilllivedinManchesterSquare，andwastheundoubtedson-in-lawofMrWharton，hiscreditwasnotaltogethergone。Inthegivingofthesegiftsnopurportwas，ofcourse，named，butMrsLesliewasprobablyawarethathergoodwordwithherfriendwasexpected。

’IonlyknowwhatIusedtohearfromMrsRoby，’MrsLesliehadsaidtoherfriend。’HewasmixedupwithHunky’speople，whorollinmoney。OldWhartonwouldn’thavegivenhimhisdaughterifhehadnotbeendoingwell。’

’It’sveryhardtobesure，’saidLizzieEustace。

’Helookslikeamanwho’dknowhowtofeatherhisownnest，’

saidMrsLeslie。’Don’tyouthinkhe’sveryhandsome？’

’Idon’tknowthathe’slikelytodothebetterforthat。’

’Well。no。buttherearemenofwhomyouaresure，whenyoulookatthem，thatthey’llbesuccessful。Idon’tsupposehewasanythingtobeginwith，butseewhereheisnow！’

’Ibelieveyouareinlovewithhim，mydear，’saidLizzieEustace。

’Notexactly。Idon’tknowthathehasgivenmeanyprovocation。

ButIdon’tseewhyawomanshouldn’tbeinlovewithhimifshelikes。Heisdealnicerthanthosefair-headedmenwhohaven’tgotawordtosaytoyou，andyetlookasthoughyououghttojumpdowntheirmouths：——likethatfellowyouweretryingtotalktolastnight，——thatMrFletcher。Hecouldjustjerkoutthreewordsatatime，andyethewasproudasLucifer。Ilikeamanwhoifhelikesmeisneitherashamednorafraidtosayso。’

’There’saromancethere，youknow。MrFletcherwasinlovewithEmilyWharton，andshethrewhimoverforFerdinandLopez。Theysayhehasnotheldhisheadupsince。’

’Shewasquiteright，’saidMrsLeslie。’Butsheisoneofthosestiff-neckedcreatureswhoaresetupwithpridethoughtheyhavenothingtobeproudof。Isupposeshehadalotofmoney。Lopezwouldneverhavetakenherwithout。’

When，therefore，Lopezcalledonedayatthelittlehouseinthelittlestreethewasnotanunwelcomevisitor。MrsLesliewasinthedrawing-room，butsoonleftitafterhisarrival。Hehadoflatebeenoftenthere，andwhenheatonceintroducedthesubjectonwhichhewashimselfintentitwasnotunexpected。’Seventhousandfivehundredpounds！’saidLizzie，afterlisteningtothepropositionwhichhehadcometomake。’Thatisaverylargesumofmoney！’

’Yes——it’salargesumofmoney。It’salargeaffair。I’minittorathermorethanthat，Ibelieve。’

’Howareyougoingtogetpeopletodrinkit？’sheaskedafterapause。

’Bytellingthemthattheyoughttodrinkit。Advertiseit。Ithasbecomeacertaintynowthatifyouwillonlyadvertisesufficientlyyoumaymakeafortunebysellinganything。Onlytheinterestonthemoneyexpendedincreasesinsolargearatioinaccordancewiththemagnitudeoftheoperation！Ifyouspendafewhundredsinadvertisingyouthrowthemaway。Ahundredthousandpoundswelllaidoutmakesacertaintyofanything。’

’WhatamItogettoshowformymoney——Imeanimmediately，youknow？’

’RegisteredsharesintheCompany。’

’TheBiosCompany？’

’No——wedidproposetocallourselvesParkerandCo。，limited。

Ithinkweshallchangethename。Theywillprobablyusemyname。LopezandCo。，limited。’

’Butit’sallforBios？’

’Ohyes——allforBios。’

’Andit’stocomefromCentralAfrica？’

’ItwillberectifiedinLondon，youknow。SomeEnglishspiritwillperhapsbemixed。ButImustnottellyouthesecretsofthetradetillyoujoinus。ThatBiosisdistilledfromthebarkoftheDuffer-treeisacertainty。’

’Haveyoudrankany？’

’I’vetastedit。’

’Isitnice？’

’Verynice——rathersweet，youknow，andwillbethebetterformixing。’

’Gin？’suggestedherladyship。

’Perhapsso，——orwhisky。IthinkImaysaythatyoucan’tdoverymuchbetterwithyourmoney。YouknowIwouldnotsaythistoyouwereitnottrue。InsuchamatterItreatyouasif，——

asifyouweremysister。’

’Iknowhowgoodyouare，——butseventhousandfivehundred！I

couldn’traisesomuchasthatjustatpresent。’

’Therearetobesixshares，’saidLopez，’making45，000poundscapital。Wouldyouconsenttotakeasharejointlywithme？

Thatwouldbethreethousandsevenhundredandfifty。’

’Butyouhaveasharealready，’saidLizziesuspiciously。

’IshouldthendividethatwithMrParker。Weintendtoregisteratanyrateasmanyasninepartners。Wouldyouobjecttoholditwithme？’Lopez，asheaskedthisquestion，lookedatherasthoughhewereofferingherhalfhisheart。

’No，’saidLizzieslowly，’Idon’tsupposeIshouldobjecttothat。’

’IshouldbedoublyeagerabouttheaffairifIwereinpartnershipwithyou。’

’It’ssuchaventure。’

’Nothingventurenothinghave。’

’ButI’vegotsomethingasitis，MrLopez，andIdon’twanttoloseitall。’

’There’snochanceofthatifyoujoinus。’

’YouthinkBiosissosure？’

’Quitesafe，’saidLopez。

’Youmustgivemealittlemoretimetothinkaboutit，’saidLadyEustaceatlast，pantingwithanxiety，strugglingwithherself，anxiousfortheexcitementwhichwouldcometoherfromdealinginBios，butstillfearingtoriskthemoney。

ThishadtakenplaceimmediatelyafterMrWharton’sofferofthe5，000poundsinmakingwhichhehadstipulatedthatEmilyshouldbeleftathome。Thenafewdayswentby，andLopezwaspressedforhismoney，attheofficeoftheSanJuanmine。Didheordidhenotmeantotakeuptheminingsharesallottedtohim？Ifhedidmeantodoso，hemustdoitatonce。Hesworebyallhisgodsthatofcoursehemeanttotakethemup。HadnotMrWhartonhimselfbeenattheoffice，sayingthatheintendedtopayforthem？Wasnotthatasufficientguarantee？TheyknewwellenoughthatMrWhartonwasamantowhomtheraisingof5，000

poundscouldbeamatterofnodifficulty。Buttheydidnotknow，nevercouldknow，howimpossibleitwastogetanythingdonebyMrWharton。ButMrWhartonhadpromisedtopayfortheshares，andwhenmoneywasconcernedhiswordwouldsurelysuffice。MrHartlepod，backedbytwooftheDirectors，saidifthethingwastogoonatall，themoneymustreallybepaidatonce。Buttheconferencewasendedbyallowingthenewlocalmanageranotherfortnightinwhichtocompletethearrangement。

Lopezallowedfourdaystopassby，duringeachofwhichhewasclosetedforatimewithLadyEustace，andthenmadeanattempttogetatMrWhartonthroughhiswife。’Yourfatherhassaidthathewillpaythemoneyforme，’saidLopez。

’Ifhehassaidithecertainlywilldoit。’

’Buthehaspromiseditontheconditionthatyoushouldremainathome。Doyouwishtodesertyourhusband？’Tothisshemadenoimmediateanswer。’Areyoualreadyanxioustoberidofme？’

’Ishouldprefertoremainathome，’shesaidinaverylowvoice。

’Thenyoudowishtodesertyourhusband？’

’Whatistheuseofallthis，Ferdinand？Youdonotloveme。

YoudidnotmarrymebecauseIlovedyou。’

’ByheavenIdid——forthatandthatonly。’

’Andhowhaveyoutreatedme？’

’WhathaveIdonetoyou？’

’ButIdonotmeantomakeaccusations，Ferdinand。Ishouldonlyaddtoourmiseriesbythat。Weshouldbehappierapart。’

’NotI。Noristhatmyideaofmarriage。Tellyourfatherthatyouwishtogowithme，andthenhewillletushavethemoney。’

’Iwilltellhimnolie，Ferdinand。Ifyoubidmego，Iwillgo。

WhereyoufindahomeImustfindonetooifitbeyourpleasuretotakeme。ButIwillnotaskmyfathertogiveyoumoneybecauseitismypleasuretogo。WereItosaysohewouldnotbelieveme。’

’Itisyouwhohavetoldhimtogiveitmeonlyontheconditionofyourstaying。’

’Ihavetoldhimnothing。HeknowsthatIdonotwishtogo。Hecannotbutknowthat。ButheknowsthatImeantogoifyourequireit。’

’Andyouwilldonothingforme？’

’Nothing——inregardtomyfather。’Heraisedhisfistwiththethoughtofstrikingher，andshesawthemotion。Buthisarmfellagaintohisside。Hehadnotquitecometothatyet。

’SurelyyouwillhavethecharitytotellmewhetherIamtogo，ifitbefixed，’shesaid。

’HaveInottoldyoutwentytimes？’

’Thenitisfixed。’

Yes——itisfixed。Yourfatherwilltellyouaboutyourthings。

Hehaspromisedsomebeggarlysum，——aboutasmuchasatallow-

chandlerwouldgivehisdaughter。’

’Whateverhedoesformewillbesufficientforme。Iamnotafraidofmyfather，Ferdinand。’

’YoushallbeafraidofmebeforeIhavedonewithyou，’saidhe，leavingtheroom。

Thenashesatathisclub，diningtherealone，therecameacrosshismindwhattheworldwouldbeliketohimifhecouldleavehiswifeathomeandtakeLizzieEustacewithhimtoGuatemala。

Guatemalawasverydistant，anditwouldmatterlittletherewhetherthewomanhebroughtwithhimwashiswifeorno。Itwasclearenoughtohimthathiswifedesirednomoreofhiscompany。

Whatweretheconventionsoftheworldtohim？Thisotherwomanhadmoneyatherowncommand。Hecouldnotmakeithisownbecausehecouldnotmarryher，buthefanciedthatitmightbepossibletobringhersofarunderhiscontrolastomakethemoneyalmostasgoodashisown。MrWharton’smoneywasveryhardtoreach，andwouldbeashardtoreach，——perhapsharder，——

whenMrWhartonwasdead，asnow，duringhislife。Hehadsaidagooddealtotheladysincetheinterviewofwhichareporthasbeengiven。ShehaddeclaredherselftobeafraidofBios。ShedidnotintheleastdoubtthatgreatthingsmightbeultimatelydonewithBios，butshedidnotquiteseethewaywithhersmallcapital，——thushumblydidshespeakofherwealth，——tobeoneofthosewhoshouldtaketheinitiativeinthematter。Biosevidentlyrequiredagreatdealofadvertisement，andLizzieEustacehadashort-sightedobjectiontoexpendwhatmoneyshehadsavedonthehoardingsofLondon。ThenheopenedtoherthegloriesofGuatemala，notcontentinghimselfwithdescribingthecertaintyoftwentypercent，butenlargingontheluxurioushappinessoflifeinacountrysogolden，sogreen，sogorgeous，andsogrand。IthadbeentheveryappleoftheeyeoftheoldSpaniards。InGuatemala，hesaid，CortezandPizzarohadmetandembraced。TheymighthavedonesoforanythingasfarasLizzieEustaceknewtothecontrary。Andhereourherotookadvantageofhisname。DonDiegodiLopezhadbeenthefirsttoraisethebanneroffreedominGuatemalawhenthekingsofSpainbecametyrantstotheirAmericansubjects。Allisfairinloveandwar，andLizzieamidstthehardbusinessofherlifestilllovedadashofromance。Yet，hewasabouttochangethesceneandtryhisfortuneinthatgolden，green，andgorgeouscountry。’Youwilltakeyourwifeofcourse，’LadyEustacehadsaid。ThenLopezhadsmiled，andshrugginghisshouldershadlefttheroom。

Itwascertainlythefactthatshecouldnoteathim。OthermenbeforeLopezhavehadtopickupwhatcouragetheycouldintheirattacksuponwomenbyrememberingthatfact。Shehadflirtedwithhiminaverypleasantway，mixingupherprettinessandherpercentagesinamannerthatwaspeculiartoherself。Hedidnotknowher，andheknewthathedidnotknowher——butstilltherewasthechance。Shehadthrownhiswifemorethanonceinhisface，afterthefashionwomendowhentheyarewooedbymarriedmensincethedaysofCleopatradownwards。Buthehadtakenthatsimplyasencouragement。Hehadalreadyletherknowthathiswifewasavixenwhotroubledhislife。Lizziehadgivenhimhersympathy，andhadalmostgivenhimatear。’ButIamnotamantobebroken-heartedbecauseIhavemadeamistake，’saidLopez。

’Marriagevowsareverywell，buttheyshallneverbindmetomisery。’’Marriagevowsarenotverywell。Theymaybeveryill，’Lizziehadreplied，rememberingcertainpassagesinherownlife。

Therewasnodoubtabouthermoney，andcertainlyshecouldnoteathim。ThefortnightallowedhimbytheSanJuanCompanyhadnearlygonebywhenhecalledatthelittlehouseinthelittlestreet，resolvedtopushhisfortuneinthatdirectionwithoutfearandwithouthesitation。MrsLeslieagaintookherdeparture，leavingthemtogether，andLizzieallowedherfriendtogo，althoughthelastwordsthatLopezhadspokenhadbeen，ashethought，afairpreludetothewordsheintendedtospeakto-

day。’Andwhatdoyouthinkofit？’hesaid，takingbothherhandsinhis。

’Thinkofwhat？’

’OfourSpanishventure。’

’HaveyougivenupBios，myfriend？’

’No。certainlynot，’saidLopez，seatinghimselfbesideher。’I

havenottakentheotherhalfshare，butIhavekeptmyoldventureinthescheme。IbelieveinBios，youknow。’

’Ah——itisnicetobelieve。’

’ButIbelievemorefirmlyinthecountrytowhichIamgoing。’

’Youaregoingthen？’

’Yes。myfriend——Iamgoing。Theallurementsaretoostrongtoberesisted。Thinkofthatclimateandofthis。’HeprobablyhadnotheardofthemosquitoesofCentralAmericawhenhesospoke。’Rememberthatanincomethatgivesyoucomfortherewillthereproduceeveryluxurywhichwealthcanpurchase。Itistobeakingthere，ortobebutverycommonamongcommonershere。’

’AndyetEnglandisadearoldcountry。’

’Haveyoufounditso？Thinkofthewrongswhichyouhaveendured——oftheinjuriesyouhavesuffered。’

’Yesindeed。’ForLizzieEustacehadgonethroughharddaysinhertime。

’Icertainlywillflyfromsuchacountrytothosegoldenshoresonwhichmanmaybefreeandunshackled。’

’Andyourwife？’

’Oh，Lizzie！’ItwasthefirsttimehehadcalledherLizzie，andshewasapparentlyneithershockednorabashed。Perhapshethoughttoomuchofthis，notknowinghowmanymenhadcalledherLizzieinhertime。’Donotyouatleastunderstandthatamanorawomanmayundergoatie，andyetbejustifiedindisregardingitaltogether？’

’Ohyes——iftherehasbeenbigamy，ordivorce，oranythingofthatkind。’NowLizziehadconvictedhersecondhusbandofbigamy，andhadfreedherselfafterthatfashion。

’Toh——withtheirprurientlaws，’saidLopez，risingsuddenlyfromhischair。’IwillneitherappealtothemnorwillIobeythem。AndIexpectfromyouaslittlesubservienceasImyselfampreparedtopay。LizzyEustace，willyougowithmetothatlandofthesun，Wheretherageofthevulture，theloveoftheturtleNowmeltintosorrow，nowmaddentocrime？

Willyoudaretoescapewithmefromthecoldconventionalities，fromthemiserablethraldomofthiscountryboundinswaddlingcloths？LizzieEustace，ifyouwillsaytheword，Iwilltakeyoutothatlandofglorioushappiness。’

ButLizzieEustacehad4，000poundsayearandabalanceatherbanker’s。’MrLopez，’shesaid。

’Whatanswerhaveyoutomakeme？’

’MrLopez，Ithinkyoumustbeafool。’

Hedidatlastsucceedingettinghimselfintothestreet，andatanyrateshehadnoteatenhim。

CHAPTER55

MRSPARKER’SSORROWS。

TheendofFebruaryhadcome，andasfarasMrsLopezknewshewastostartforGuatemalainamonth’stime。Andyettherewassomuchindecisioninherhusband’smanner，andapparentlysolittledonebyhiminregardtopersonalpreparation，thatshecouldhardlybringherselftofeelcertainthatshewouldhavetomakethejourney。Fromdaytodayherfatherwouldaskherwhethershehadmadeherintendedpurchases，andshewouldtellhimthatshehadstillpostponedthework。Thenhewouldsaynomore，forhehimselfwashesitating，doubtfulwhathewoulddo，andstillthinkingthatwhenatlastthetimeshouldcome，hewouldbuyhisdaughter’sreleaseatanypricethatmightbedemanded。HehadseenLopezmorethanonce，andhadalsoseenMrHartlepod。MrHartlepodhadsimplytoldhimthathewouldbeveryhappytoregisterthesharesonbehalfofLopezassoonasthemoneywaspaid。Lopezhadbeenalmostinsolentinhisbearing。’DidMrWhartonthink，’heasked，’thathewasgoingtosellhiswifefor5，000pounds？’’Ithinkyouwillhavetoraiseyouroffer，’MrWalkerhadsaidtoMrWharton。Thatwasallverywell。MrWhartonwaswillingenoughtoraisetheoffer。HewouldhavedoubledtheoffercouldhetherebyhavesecuredtheannihilationofLopez。’Iwillraiseitifhewillgowithouthiswife，andgiveherawrittenassurancethathewouldnevertroubleheragain。’ButthearrangementwasonewhichMrWalkerfounditverydifficulttocarryout。SothingswentontilltheendofFebruaryhadcome。

AndduringallthistimeLopezwasstillaresidentinMrWharton’shouse。’Papa，’shesaidtohimoneday，’thisisthecruellestthingofall。Whydon’tyoutellhimhemustgo？’

’Becausehewouldtakeyouwithhim。’

’Itwouldbebetterso。Icouldcomeandseeyou。’

’Ididtellhimtogo——inmypassion。Irepentedofitinstantly，becauseIshouldhavelostyou。Butwhatdidmytellingmattertohim？Hewasveryindignant，andyetheisstillhere。’

’Youtoldhimtogo？’

’Yes——butIamgladthathedidnotobeyme。Theremustbeanendofitsoon，Isuppose。’

’Idonotknow，papa。’

’Doyouthinkhewillnotgo？’

’IfeelthatIknownothing，papa。Youmustnotlethimstayalways，youknow。’

’Andwhatwillbecomeofyouwhenhegoes？’

’Imustgowithhim。Whyshouldyoubesacrificedalso？Iwilltellhimthathemustleavethehouse。Iamnotafraidofhim，papa。’

’Notyet，mydear——notyet。Wewillsee。’

AtthistimeLopezdeclaredhispurposeonedayofdiningattheProgress，andMrWhartontookadvantageoftheoccasiontoremainathomewithhisdaughter。Everettwasnowexpected，andtherewasaprobabilitythathemightcomeonthisevening。MrWhartonthereforereturnedfromhischambersearly。butwhenhereachedthehousehewastoldthattherewasawomaninthedining-roomwithMrsLopez。Theservantdidnotknowwhatwoman。ShehadaskedtoseeMrsLopez，andMrsLopezhadgonedowntoher。

Thewomaninthedining-roomwasMrsParker。Shehadcalledatthehouseabouthalf-pastfive，andEmilyhadatoncecomedownwhensummonedbytidingsthataladywantedtoseeher。

Servantshaveawayofannouncingawomanalady，whichclearlyexpressestheirownopinionthatthepersoninquestionwasnotalady。Soithadbeenonthepresentoccasion，butMrsLopezhadatoncegonetohervisitor。’Oh，MrsParker，Iamsogladtoseeyou。Ihopeyouarewell。’

’Indeedthen，MrsLopez，Iamveryfarfromwell。Nopoorwoman，whoisthemotheroffivechildren，waseverfartherfrombeingwellthanIam。’

’Isanythingwrong？’

’Wrong，ma’am。Everythingiswrong。WhenisMrLopezgoingtopaymyhusbandallthemoneyhehastookfromhim？’

’Hashetakenmoney？’

’Taken！hehastakeneverything。Hehasshornmyhusbandasbareasaboard。We’reruined，MrsLopez，andit’syourhusbandhasdoneit。WhenwewereatDovercourt，Itoldyouhowitwasgoingtobe。Hisbusinesshaslefthim，andnowthereisnothing。Whatarewetodo？’Thewomanwasseatedonachair，leaningforwardwithhertwohandsonherknees。Thedaywaswet，thestreetswerehalfmudandhalfsnow，andthepoorwoman，whohadmadeherwaythroughtheslush，wassoiledandwet。’I

looktoyoutotellmewhatmeandmychildrenistodo。He’syourhusband，MrsLopez。’

’Yes，MrsParker，heismyhusband。’

’Whycouldn’theletSextyalone？Whyshouldthelikeofhimbetakingthebreadoutofmychildren’smouths？Whathadweeverdonetohim？You’rerich。’

’IndeedIamnot，MrsParker。’

’Yes，youare。You’relivinghereinagrandhouse，andyourfather’smadeofmoney。You’llknownothingofwant，lettheworstcometotheworst。Whatarewetodo，MrsLopez？I’mthewifeofthatpoorcreature，andyou’rethewifeofthemanthathasruinedhim。Whatarewetodo，MrsLopez？’

’Idonotunderstandmyhusband’sbusiness，MrsParker。’

’You’reonewithhim，ain’tyou？Ifanybodyhasevercometomeandsaidmyhusbandhadrobbedhim，I’dneverhavestoppedtillI

knewthetruthofit。IfanywomanhadeversaidtomethatParkerhadtakenthebreadoutofherchildren’smouths，doyouthinkthatI’dsitasyouaresitting？ItellthatLopezhasrobbedus，——hasrobbedus，andtakeneverything。’

’WhatcanIsay，MrsParker——whatcanIdo？’

’Whereishe？’

’Heisnothere。Heisdiningathisclub。’

’Whereisthat？Iwillgothereandshamehimbeforethemall。

Don’tyoufeelnoshame？Becauseyou’vegotthingscomfortablehere，Isupposeit’sallnothingtoyou。Youdon’tcare，thoughmychildrenwerestarvinginthegutter，——astheywilldo。’

’Ifyouknewme，MrsParker，youwouldn’tspeaktomelikethat。’

’Knowyou！OfcourseIknowyou。You’realady，andyourfather’sarichman，andyourhusbandthinksnoendofhimself。

Andwe’repoorpeople，soitdon’tmatterwhetherwe’rerobbedandruinedornot。That’saboutit。’

’IfIhadanything，I’dgiveyouallthatIhad。’

’Andhe’stakentodrinkingthathardthathe’sneverrightlysoberfrommorningtonight。’Asshetoldthisstoryofherhusband’sdisgrace，thepoorwomanburstintotears。’Who’stotrusthimwithbusinessnow？He’sthatbroken-heartedthathedon’tknowwhichwaytoturn，——onlytothebottle。AndLopezhasdoneitall，——doneitall！Ihaven’tgotafather，ma’am，whohasgotahouseoverhisheadformeandmybabies。Onlythinkifyouwasturnedoutintothestreetwithyourbaby，asI

amliketobe。’

’Ihavenobaby，’saidthewretchedwomanthroughhertearsandsobs。

’Haven’tyou，MrsLopez？Ohdear！’exclaimedthesoft-heartedwoman，reducedatoncetopity。’Howwasitthen？’

’Hedied，MrsParker，——justafewdaysafterhewasborn。’

’Didhenow？Well，well。Weallhaveourtroubles，Isuppose。’

’Ihavemine，Iknow，’saidEmily，’andvery，veryheavytheyare。IcannottellyouwhatIhavehadtosuffer。’

’Isn’thegoodtoyou？’

’Icannottalkaboutit，MrsParker。Whatyoutellmeaboutyourselfhasaddedgreatlytomysorrows。Myhusbandistalkingofgoingaway——toliveoutofEngland。’

’Yes，ataplacetheycall，——Iforgotwhattheycallit，butI

heardit。’

’Guatemala，——inAmerica。’

’Iknow。Sextytoldme。Hehasnobusinesstogoanywhere，whileheowesSextysuchalotofmoney。Hehastakeneverything，andnowheisgoingtoKattymaly！’AtthismomentMrWhartonknockedatthedoorandenteredtheroom。AshedidsoMrsParkergotupandcurtsied。

’Thisismyfather，MrsParker，’saidEmily。’Papa，thisisMrsParker。SheisthewifeofMrParker，whoisFerdinand’spartner。Shehascomeherewithbadnews。’

’Verybadnews，indeed，sir，’saidMrsParker，curtseyingagain。

MrWhartonfrowned，notasbeingangrywiththewoman，butfeelingthatsomefurtherhorrorwastobetoldhimofhisson-

in-law。’Ican’thelpcoming，sir，’continuedMrsParker。

’WhereamItogoifIdon’tcome？MrLopez，sir，hasruinedusrootandbranch，——rootandbranch。’

’Thatatanyrateisnotmyfault，’saidMrWharton，’Butsheishiswife，sir。WhereamItogoifnottowherehelives？AmItoputupwitheverythinggone，andmypoorhusbandintherightwaytogotoBedlam，andnottosayawordaboutittothegrandrelationsofhimwhodiditall？’

’Heisabadman，’saidMrWharton。’Icannotmakehimotherwise。’

’Willhedonothingforus？’

’IwilltellyouallIknowabouthim。’ThenMrWhartondidtellherallthatheknew，astotheappointmentatGuatemalaandtheamountofsalarywhichwastobeattachedtoit。’Whetherhewilldoanythingforyou，Icannotsay——Ishouldthinknot，unlesshebeforced。IshouldadviseyoutogototheofficesoftheCompanyinColemanStreetandtrytomakesometermsthere。

ButIfear，——Ifearthatitwillallbeuseless。’

’Thenwemaystarve。’

’Itisnotherfault，’saidMrWharton，pointingtohisdaughter。

’Shehashadnohandinit。Sheknowslessofitthanyoudo。’

’Itismyfault，’saidEmily，burstingoutinself-reproach，——

’myfaultthatImarriedhim。’

’WhethermarriedorsinglehewouldhavepreyeduponMrParkertothesameextent。’

’Likeenough，’saidthepoorwife。’He’dpreyuponanybodyashecouldgetholdof。Andso，MrWharton，youthinkthatyoucandonothingforme。’

’IfyourwantbeimmediateIcanrelieveit，’saidthebarrister。

MrsParkerdidnotliketheideaofacceptingdirectcharity，but，nevertheless，ongoingawaydidtakethefivesovereignswhichMrWhartonofferedtoher。

Aftersuchaninterviewasthattheeveningbetweenthefatherandthedaughterwasnotveryhappy。Shewaseatenupbyremorse。Graduallyshehadlearnedhowfrightfulwasthethingshehaddoneingivingherselftoamanofwhomshehadknownnothing。Anditwasnotonlythatshehaddegradedherselfbylovingsuchaman，butthatshehadbeenpersistentinclingingtohimthoughherfatherandallhisfriendshadtoldherofthedangerwhichshewasrunning。Andnowitseemedthatshehaddestroyedherfatheraswellasherself！Allthatshecoulddowastobepersistentinherprayerthathewouldlethergo。’I

havedoneit，’shesaidthatnight，’andIcouldbearitbetter，ifyouwouldletmebearitalone。’Butheonlykissedher，andsobbedoverher，andheldherclosetohisheartwithhisclingingarms，——inamannerinwhichhehadneverheldherintheiroldhappydays。

HetookhimselftohisownroomsbeforeLopezreturned，butsheofcoursehadtobearherhusband’spresence。Asshehaddeclaredtoherfathermorethanonce，shewasnotafraidofhim。

Eventhoughheshouldstrikeher，——thoughheshouldkillher，——

shewouldnotbeafraidofhim。Hehadalreadydoneworsetoherthananythingthatcouldfollow。’MrsParkerhasbeenhereto-

day，’shesaidtohimthatnight。

’AndwhatdidMrsParkerhavetosay？’

’Thatyouruinedherhusband。’

’Exactly。Whenamanspeculatesanddoesn’twinofcoursehethrowstheblameonsomeoneelse。Andwhenheistoomuchofacurtocomehimself，hesendshiswife。’

’Shesaysyouowehimmoney。’

’Whatbusinesshaveyoutolistentowhatshesays？Ifshecomesagain，donotseeher。Doyouunderstandme？’

’Yes，Iunderstand。Shesawpapaalso。Ifyouowehimmoney，shoulditnotbepaid？’

’Mydearestlove，everybodywhoowesanythingtoanybodyshouldalwayspayit。Thatissoself-evidentthatonewouldalmostsupposethatitmightbeunderstoodwithoutbeingenunciated。

Butthevirtueofpayingdebtsisincompatiblewithanabsenceofmoney。Now，ifyouplease，wewillnotsayanythingmoreaboutMrsParker。Sheisnotatanyrateafitcompanionforyou。’

’Itwasyouwhointroducedher。’

’Holdyourtongueabouther，——andletthatbeanendofit。I

littleknewwhataworldoftormentIwaspreparingformyselfwhenIallowedyoutocomeandliveinyourfather’shouse。’

CHAPTER56

WHATTHEDUCHESSTHOUGHTOFHERHUSBAND。

WhenthesessionbeganitwasunderstoodinthepoliticalworldthataverystrongoppositionwastobeorganizedagainsttheGovernmentundertheguidanceofSirOrlandoDrought，andthatthegreatsintobeimputedtotheCabinetwasanutterindifferencetothesafetyandhonourofGreatBritain，asmanifestedbytheirneglectofthenavy。AlltheworldknewthatSirOrlandohaddesertedtheCoalitionbecausehewasnotallowedtobuildnewships，andofcourseSirOrlandowouldmakethemostofhisgrievance。WithhimwasjoinedMrBoffin，thepatrioticConservativewhohadneverlistenedtothevoiceoftheseducer，andthestaunchremainderoftheToryparty。AndwiththemthemoreviolentoftheRadicalswerepreparedtoact，notdesirous，indeed，thatnewshipsshouldbebuilt，orthataConservativeGovernmentshouldbeestablished，——or，indeed，thatanythingshouldbedone，——butanimatedbyintensedisgustthatsomildapoliticianastheDukeofOmniumshouldbePrimeMinister。Thefightbeganatonce，SirOrlandoobjectingviolentlytocertainpassagesintheQueen’sSpeech。Itwasallverywelltosaythatthecountrywasatpresentatpeacewithalltheworld。buthowwaspeacetobemaintainedwithoutafleet？ThenSirOrlandopaidagreatmanycomplimentstotheDuke，andendedhisspeechbydeclaringhimtobethemostabsolutelyfaineantministerthathaddisgracedthecountrysincetheDukeofNewcastle。MrMonkdefendedtheCoalition，andassuredtheHousethatthenavywasnotonlythemostpowerfulnavyexisting，butthatitwasthemostpowerfulthateverhadexistedinthepossessionofthisoranyothercountry，andwasprobablyinabsoluteefficiencysuperiortothecombinednaviesofalltheworld。TheHousewasnotshockedbystatementsabsolutelyatvariancewitheachother，comingfromtwogentlemenwhohadlatelybeenmembersofthesameGovernment，andwhomustbesupposedtoknowwhattheyaretalkingabout，butseemedtothinkthatuponthewholeSirOrlandohaddonehisduty。Forthoughtherewascompleteconfidenceinthenavyasanavy，andthoughaverysmallminoritywouldhavevotedforanyconsiderablyincreasedexpense，stillitwaswellthatthereshouldbeanopposition。Andhowcantherebeanoppositionwithoutasubjectforgrumbling，——

somematteronwhichaministercanbeattacked？NoonereallythoughtthatthePrussiansandFrenchcombinedwouldinvadeourshoresanddevastateourfields，andplunderLondon，andcarryourdaughtersawayintocaptivity。Thestateofthefundsshowedveryplainlythattherewasnosuchfear。Butagoodcrywasaverygoodthing，——anditisalwayswelltorubuptheofficialsoftheAdmiraltybyalittlewholesomeabuse。SirOrlandowasthoughttohavedonehisbusinesswell。Ofcoursehedidnotriskadivisionupontheaddress。Hadhedonesohewouldhavebeen’nowhere’。But，asitwas，hewasproudofhisachievement。

Theministersgenerallywouldhavebeenindifferenttotheveryhardwordsthatweresaidofthem，knowingwhattheywereworth，andfeelingawarethataministrywhichhadeverythingtooeasywasverysoreonthesubject。TheoldDuke’sworkatthistimeconsistedalmostalltogetherinnursingtheyoungerDuke。ItdidsometimesoccurtohiselderGracethatitmightbewelltolethisbrotherretire，andthataPrimeMinister，malgrelui，couldnotbeasuccessfulPrimeMinister，orausefulone。ButiftheDukeofOmniumwenttheCoalitionmustgotoo，andtheCoalitionhadbeentheoffspringoftheoldstatesman。ThecountrywasthrivingundertheCoalition，andtherewasnorealreasonwhyitshouldnotlastforthenexttenyears。Hecontinued，therefore，hissystemofcoddling，andwasreadyatanymoment，orateverymoment，topour，ifnotcomfort，atanyrateconsolationintotheearsofhisunhappyfriend。Inthepresentemergency，itwasthefalsehoodandgeneralbasenessofSirOrlandowhichnearlybroketheheartofthePrimeMinister。

’Howisonetolive，’hesaid，’ifonehastodowithmenofthatkind？’

’Butyouhaven’ttodowithhimanylonger，’saidtheDukeofStBungay。

’WhenIseeamanwhoissupposedtohaveearnedthenameofstatesman，andbeenhighinthecouncilsofhissovereign，inducedbypersonaljealousytodoasheisdoing，itmakesmefeelthatanhonestmanshouldnotplacehimselfwherehemayhavetodealwithsuchpersons。’

’Accordingtothatthehonestmenaretodeserttheircountryinorderthatthedishonestmenmayhaveeverythingtheirownway。’

OurDukecouldnotanswerthis，andthereforeforthemomentheyielded。Buthewasunhappy，saturnine，andgenerallysilentexceptwhenclosetedwithhisancientmentor。Andheknewthathewassaturnineandsilent，andthatitbehovedhimasaleaderofmentobegenialandcommunicative，——listeningtocounselevenifhedidnotfollowit，andatanyrateappearingtohaveconfidenceinhiscolleagues。

DuringthistimeMrSlidewasnotinactive，andinhisheartofheartsthePrimeMinisterwasmoreafraidofMrSlide’sattacksthanofthosemadeuponhimbySirOrlandoDrought。NowthatParliamentwassitting，andthemindsofmenwerestirredtopoliticalfeelingbytherenewedenergyoftheHouse，agreatdealwasbeingsaidinmanyquartersabouttheSilverbridgeelection。Thepapershadtakenthematterupgenerally，someaccusingthePrimeMinisterandsomedefending。Butthedefencewasalmostasunpalatabletohimastheaccusation。ItwasadmittedonallsidesthattheDuke，bothasapeerandasaPrimeMinister，shouldhaveabstainedfromanyinterferencewhateverintheelection。Anditwasalsoadmittedonallsidesthathehadnotsoabstained——iftherewasanytruthatallintheallegationthathehadpaidthemoneyforMrLopez。ButitwaspleadedonhisbehalfthattheDukeofOmniumhadalwaysinterferedinSilverbridge，andthatnoReformBillhadeverhadanyeffectinreducingtheirinfluenceinthatborough。FrequentallusionwasmadetothecautiousDod，who，yearafteryear，hadreportedthattheDukeofOmniumexercisedconsiderableinfluenceintheborough。AndthenthefriendlynewspaperswentontoexplainthattheDukehadinthisinstancestayedhishand，andthatthemoney，ifpaidatall，hadbeenpaidbecausethecandidatewhowastohavebeenhisnomineehadbeenthrownover，whentheDukeatthelastmomentmadeuphismindthathewouldabandontheprivilegewhichhadhithertobeenalwaysexercisedbytheheadofhisfamily，andwhichhadbeenexercisedmorethanonceortwiceinhisownfavour。ButMrSlide，dayafterday，repeatedhisquestion，’WewanttoknowwhetherthePrimeMinisterdidordidnotpaytheelectionexpensesofMrLopezatthelastSilverbridgeelection。andifso，whyhepaidthem。Weshallcontinuetoaskthisquestiontillithasbeenanswered，andwhenaskingitweagainsaythattheactualcorrespondenceonthesubjectbetweentheDukeandMrLopezisinourhands。’Andthen，afterawhile，allusionsweremadetotheDuchess，——forMrSlidehadlearnedallthefactsofthecasefromLopezhimself。

WhenMrSlidefoundhowharditwas’todrawhisbadger’，asheexpressedhimselfconcerninghisownoperations，heatlastopenlyalludedtotheDuchess，runningtheriskofanypunishmentthatmightfalluponhimbyactionforlibelorbyseverereprehensionfromhiscolleaguesofthePress。’Wehaveasyet，’

hesaid，’receivednoanswerstothequestionswhichwehavefeltourselvescalledupontoaskinreferencetotheconductofthePrimeMinisterattheSilverbridgeelection。Weareoftheopinionthatallinterferencebypeerswiththeconstituenciesofthecountryshouldbeputdownbythestronghandofthelawasthoroughlyandunmercifullyasweareputtingdownordinarybribery。ButwhentheoffendingpeerisalsothePrimeMinisterofthisgreatcountry，itbecomesdoublythedutyofthosewhowatchoverthepublicsafety，’——MrSlidealwaysspeaksofhimselfaswatchingoverthepublicsafety，——’toanimadvertuponhiscrimetillithasbeenassoiled，oratanyraterepented。

Fromwhatwenowhearwehavereasontobelievethatthecrimeisacknowledged。HadthepaymentonbehalfofMrLopeznotbeenmade，——asitcertainlywasmade，orthelettersinourhandwouldbeimpudentforgeries，——thechargewouldlongsincehavebeendenied。Silenceinsuchamatteramountstoaconfession。

ButweunderstandthattheDukeintendstoescapeunderthepleathathehasasecondself，powerfulasheistoexercisethebanefulinfluencewhichhisterritorialwealthunfortunatelygiveshim，butfortheactionsofwhichsecondselfhe，asaPeerofParliamentandasPrimeMinister，isnotresponsible。InotherwordsweareinformedthattheprivilegebelongingtothePalliserfamilyatSilverbridgewasexercised，notbytheDukehimself，butbytheDuchess——andthattheDukepaidthemoneywhenhefoundoutthattheDuchesshadpromisedmorethanshecouldperform。WeshouldhardlyhavethoughtthatevenamansonotoriouslyweakastheDukeofOmniumwouldhaveendeavouredtorideouttheresponsibilitybythrowingtheblameuponhiswife。

buthewillcertainlyfindthattheattempt，ifmade，willfail。’

’AgainsttheDuchessherselfwewishtosaynotaword。Sheisknownasexercisingawideifnotdiscriminatehospitality。Webelievehertobeakind-hearted，bustling，ambitiouslady，towhomanylittlefaultsmaybeeasilyforgivenonaccountofhergood-natureandgenerosity。ButwecannotacceptherindiscretionasanexcuseforamostunconstitutionalactperformedbythePrimeMinisterofthiscountry。’

LatterlytheDuchesshadtakenherowncopyofthePeople’sBanner。Sinceshehadfoundthosearoundherwereendeavouringtokeepfromherwhatwasbeingsaidofherhusbandinregardtotheborough，shehadbeendeterminedtoseeitall。Shethereforereadthearticlefromwhichtwoorthreeparagraphshavejustbeengiven，——andhavingreaditshehandedittoherfriendMrsFinn。’Iwonderthatyoutroubleyourselfwithsuchtrash，’herfriendsaidtoher。

’Thatisallverywell，mydear，foryou，butwepoorwretcheswhoaretheslavesofthepeoplehavetoregardwhatissaidofusinthePeople’sBanner。

’Itwouldbemuchbetterforyoutoneglectit。’

’Justasauthorsaretoldnottoreadthecriticisms——butI

neverwouldbelieveanyauthorwhotoldmethathedidn’treadwhatwassaidabouthim。IwonderwhenthemanfoundoutthatI

wasgood-natured。Hewouldn’tfindmegood-naturedifIcouldgetholdofhim。’

’Youarenotgoingtoallowittotormentyou？’

’Formyownsake，notamoment。IfancythatifImightbepermittedtohavemyownway，Icouldanswerhimveryeasily。

Indeedwiththesedregsofthenewspapers，thesegutter-

slanderers，ifonewouldbeopenandsayallthetruthaloudwhatwouldonehavetofear？Afterall，whatisitthatIdid？I

disobeyedmyhusbandbecauseIthoughtthathewastooscrupulous。Letmesayasmuch，outloudtothepublic，——sayingalsothatIamsorryforit，asIam，——andwhowouldbeagainstme？Whowouldhaveawordtosayafterthat？IshouldbethemostpopularwomaninEnglandforamonth，——and，asregardsPlantagenet，MrSlideandhisarticleswouldallsinkintosilence。Buteventhoughheweretocontinuethisfromdaytodayforatwelvemonthitwouldnothurtme，——butthenIknowhowitscorcheshim。Thismentionofmynamewillmakeitmoreintolerabletohimthanever。Idoubtthatyouknowhimevenyet。’

’IthoughtthatIdid。’

’Thoughinmannerheisasdryasastick，thoughallhispursuitsareoppositetotheveryideaofromance，thoughhepasseshisdaysandnightsthinkinghowhemaytakeahalfpennyinthepoundoffthetaxesofthepeoplewithoutrobbingtherevenue，thereisadashofchivalryabouthimworthyoftheoldpoets。Tohimawoman，particularlyhisownwoman，isathingsofineandsopreciousthatthewindsofheavenshouldhardlybeallowedtoblowuponher。Hecannotbeartothinkthatpeopleshouldeventalkofhiswife。Andyet，heavenknows，poorfellow，Ihavegivenpeopleoccasionenoughtotalkofme。Andhehasamuchhigherchivalrythanthatoftheoldpoets。They，ortheirheroes，watchedtheirwomenbecausetheydidnotwanttohavetroubleaboutthem，——shutthemupincastles，kepttheminignorance，andheldthemasfarastheycouldoutofharm’sway。’

’Ihardlythinktheysucceeded，’saidMrsFinn。

’Butinpureselfishnesstheytriedalltheycould。Butheistooproudtowatch。IfyouandIwerehatchingtreasonagainsthiminthedark，andchancebroughthimthere，hewouldstophisearswithhisfingers。Heisalltrust，evenwhenheknowsthatheisbeingdeceived。Heishonourcompletefromheadtofoot。

Ah，itwasbeforeyouknewmewhenItriedhimthehardest。I

nevercouldquitetellyouthestory，andIwon’ttryitnow。buthebehavedlikeagod。IcouldnevertellhimwhatIfelt，——butIfeltit。’

’Yououghttolovehim。’

’Ido——butwhat’stheuseofit？Heisagod，butIamnotagoddess——andthen，thoughheisagod，heisadry，silent，uncongenialanduncomfortablegod。Itwouldhavesuitedmemuchbettertohavemarriedasinner。ButthenthesinnerthatI

wouldhavemarriedwassoirredeemableascapegrace。’

’Idonotbelieveinawomanmarryingabadmaninthehopeofmakinghimgood。’

’Especiallynotwhenthewomanisnaturallyinclinedtoevilherself。Itwillhalfkillhimwhenhereadsallthisaboutme。

Hehasreaditalready，andithasalreadyhalfkilledhim。FormyselfIdonotminditintheleast，butforhissakeIminditmuch。Itwillrobhimofhisonlypossibleanswertotheaccusation。Theverythingwhichthiswretchinthenewspapersayshewillsay，andthathewillbedisgracedbysayingit，istheverythingthatheoughttosay。Andtherewouldbenodisgraceinit，——beyondwhatImightwellbearformylittlefault，andwhichIcouldbearsoeasily。’

’Shallyouspeaktohimaboutit？’

’No。Idarenot。Inthismatterithasgonebeyondspeaking。I

supposehedoestalkitoverwiththeoldDuke。buthewillsaynothingtomeaboutit，——unlessheweretotellmethathehadresigned，andthatweweretostartoffandliveatMatchingforthenexttenyears。IwassoproudwhentheymadehimPrimeMinister，butIthinkthatIambeginningtoregretitnow。’

Thentherewasapause，andtheDuchesswenton，withhernewspapers。butshesoonresumedherdiscourse。Herheartwasfull，andoutofafullheartthemouthspeaks。’TheyshouldhavemademePrimeMinister，andhavelethimbeChancelloroftheExchequer。IbegintoseethewaysofGovernmentnow。I

couldhavedoneallthedirtywork。Icouldhavegivenawaygartersandribbons，andmademybargainswhilegivingthem。I

couldselectsleek，easybishopswhowouldn’tbetroublesome。I

couldgivepensionsorwithholdthem，andmakethestupidmenintopeers。Icouldhavethebignoblemenatmyfeet，prayingtobeLieutenantsofCounties。Icoulddoleoutsecretaryshipsandlordships，andneveraonewithoutgettingsomethinginreturn。

IcouldbrazenoutajobandletthePeople’sBannerandtheSlidesmaketheirworstofit。AndIthinkIcouldmakemyselfpopularwithmyparty，anddothehigh-flowingpatriotictalkforthebenefitoftheProvinces。Amanataregularofficehastowork。That’swhatPlantagenetisfitfor。Hewantsalwaystobedoingsomethingthatshallbereallyuseful，andamanhastotoilatthatandreallytoknowthings。ButaPrimeMinistershouldnevergobeyondgeneralitiesaboutcommerce，agriculture，peace，andgeneralphilanthropy。Ofcourseheshouldhavethegiftofthegab，andthatPlantagenethasn’tgot。Heneverwantstosayanythingunlesshehasgotsomethingtosay。IcoulddoaMansionHousedinnertoamarvel！’

’Idon’tdoubtthatyoucouldspeakatalltimes，LadyGlen。’

’Oh，IdosowishthatIhadtheopportunity，’saidtheDuchess。

OfcoursetheDukehadreadthearticleintheprivacyofhisownroom，andofcoursethearticlehadnearlymaddenedhimwithangerandgrief。AstheDuchesshadsaid，thearticlehadtakenfromhimtheverygroundonwhichhisfriendshadtoldhimthathecouldstand。Hehadneverconsented，andneverwouldconsent，tolaytheblamepubliclyonhiswife。buthehadbeguntothinkthathemusttakenoticeofthechargemadeagainsthim，anddeputesomeonetoexplainforhimintheHouseofCommonsthattheinjuryhadbeendoneatSilverbridgebytheindiscretionofanagentwhohadnotfulfilledhisemployer’sintentions，andthattheDukehadthoughtitrightafterwardspaythemoneyinconsequenceoftheindiscretion。Hehadnotagreedtothis，buthadbroughthimselftothinkthathemustagreetoit。Butnow，ofcourse，thequestionswouldfollow：——Whowastheindiscreetagent？WastheDuchessthepersonforwhoseindiscretionshehadhadtopay500poundstoMrLopez？AndinthismatterdidhenotfindhimselfinaccordevenwithMrSlide？’WeshouldhardlyhavethoughtthatevenamansonotoriouslyweakastheDukeofOmniumwouldhaveendeavouredtorideoutoftheresponsibilitybythrowingtheblameonhiswife。’Hereadandrereadthosewordstillheknewthembyheart。ForafewmomentsitseemedtohimtobeanevilintheConstitutionthatthePrimeMinistershouldnothavethepowerofinstantlycrucifyingsofoulaslanderer——andyetitwastheverytruthofthewordsthatcrushedhim。Hewasweak，——hetoldhimself，——notoriouslyweak，itmustbe，anditwouldbemostmeaninhimtorideoutofresponsibilitybythrowingtheblameuponhiswife。Butwhatelsewashetodo？Thereseemedtohimtobebutonecourse，——

togetupintheHouseofLordsanddeclaredthathepaidthemoneybecausehethoughtitrighttodounderthecircumstanceswhichhecouldnotexplain，andtodeclarethatitwasnothisintentiontosayanotherwordonthesubject，ortohaveanotherwordsaidonhisbehalf。

TherewasaCabinetCouncilheldthatday，butnooneventuredtospeaktothePrimeMinisterastotheaccusation。Thoughheconsideredhimselftobeweak，hiscolleagueswereallmoreorlessafraidofhim。Therewasacertainsilentdignityaboutthemanwhichsavedhimfromtheevils，asitalsodebarredhimfromtheadvantages，offamiliarity。HehadspokenonthesubjecttoMrMonkandtoPhineasFinn，and，asthereaderknows，veryoftentohisoldmentor。HehadalsomentionedittohisfriendLordCantrip，whowasnotintheCabinet。ComingawayfromtheCabinethetookMrMonk’sarm，andledhimawaytohisownroomintheTreasuryChambers。’HaveyouhappenedtoseeanarticleinthePeople’sBannerthismorning？’heasked。

’IneverseethePeople’sBanner，’saidMrMonk。

’Thereitis——justlookatthat。’WhereuponMrMonkreadthearticle。’YouunderstandwhatpeoplecallconstitutionalpracticeaswellasanyoneIknow。AsItoldyoubefore，Ididpaythatman’sexpenses。DidIdoanythingunconstitutional？’

’Thatwoulddepend，Duke，onthecircumstances。Ifyouweretobackamanupbyyourwealthinanexpensivecontest，Ithinkitwouldbeunconstitutional。Ifyousetyourselftoworkinthatway，，andcarednotwhatyouspent，youmightmateriallyinfluencetheelections，andbuyparliamentarysupportforyourself。’

’Butinthiscasethepaymentwasmadeafterthemanhadfailed，andcertainlyhadnotbeenpromisedeitherbymeorbyanyoneonmybehalf。’

’Ithinkitwasunfortunate，’saidMrMonk。

’Certainly。certainly。butIamnotaskingastothat，’saidtheDukeimpatiently。’Themanhadbeeninjuredbyindiscreetpersonsactingonmybehalfandinoppositiontomywishes。’HesaidnotawordabouttheDuchess。butMrMonknodoubtknewthatherGracehadbeenatanyrateoneoftheindiscreetpersons。

’Heappliedtomeforthemoney，allegingthathehadbeeninjuredbymyagents。Thatbeingso，——presumingthatmystorybecorrect，——didIactunconstitutionally？’

’Ithinknot，’saidMrMonk，’andIthinkthatthecircumstances，whenexplained，willbearyouharmless。’

’Thankyou。thankyou。Ididnotwanttotroubleyouaboutthatjustatpresent。’

CHAPTER57

THEEXPLANATION。

MrMonkhadbeenaltogetherunabletodeciphertheDuke’spurposeinthequestionhehadasked。AboutanhourafterwardstheywalkeddowntotheHousestogether。MrMonkhavingbeenkeptathisoffice。’IhopeIwasn’talittleshortwithyoujustnow，’

saidtheDuke。

’Ididnotfinditout，’saidMrMonk，smiling。

’Youreadwhatwasinthepapers，andyoumayimaginethatitisofanaturetoirritateaman。Iknewthatnoonecouldanswermyquestionsocorrectlyasyou，andthereforeIwasratheralittleeagertokeepdirectlytothequestion。ItoccurredtomeafterwardsthatIhadbeen——perhapsuncourteous。’

’Notatall，Duke。’

’IfIwas，yourgoodnesswillexcuseanirritatedman。IfaquestionwereaskedaboutitintheHouseofCommonswhowouldbethebestmantoanswerit？Wouldyoudoit？’

MrMonkconsideredawhile。’Ithink，’hesaid，’thatMrFinnwoulddoitwithbettergrace。OfcourseIwilldoitifyouwishit。Buthehastactinsuchmatters，anditisknownthathiswifeismuchregardedbyherGrace。’

’IwillnothavetheDuchess’snamementioned，’saidtheDuke，turningshortuponhiscompanion。

’Ididnotalludetothat，butIthoughtthattheintimacywhichexistedmightmakeitpleasanttoyoutoemployMrFinnastheexponentofyourwishes。’

’IhavethegreatestconfidenceinMrFinn，certainly，andamonmostfriendlypersonaltermswithhim。Itshallbeso，ifI

decideonansweringanyquestionsinyourHouseonamattersopurelypersonaltomyself。’

’Iwouldsuggestthatyoushouldhavethequestionaskedinafriendlyway。Getsomeindependentmember，suchasMrBeverleyorSirJamesDeering，toaskit。Thematterwouldthenbebroughtforwardinnocarpingspirit，andyouwouldbeenabled，throughMrFinn，tosetthematteratrest。YouhaveprobablyspokentotheDukeaboutit。’

’Ihavementionedittohim。’

’Isnotthatwhatwouldrecommend？’

TheoldDukehadrecommendedthattheentiretruthshouldbetold，andthattheDuchess’soperationsshouldbemadepublic。

HerewasourpoorPrimeMinister’sgreatdifficulty。HeandhisMentorwereatvariance。HisMentorwasadvisingthattherealnakedtruthshouldbetold，whereasTelemachuswasintentonkeepingthenameoftheactualculpritinthebackground。’I

willthinkitallover，’saidthePrimeMinisterasthetwopartedcompanyatPalaceYard。

ThateveninghespoketoLordCantriponthesubject。Thoughthematterwasodioustohim，hecouldnotkeephismindfromitforamoment。HadLordCantripseenthearticleinthePeople’sBanner？LordCantrip，likeMrMonk，declaredthatthepaperinquestiondidnotconstitutepartofhisusualmorning’srecreation。’Iwon’taskyoutoreadit，’saidtheDuke——’butitcontainsaverybitterattackuponme，——thebitterestthathasyetbeenmade。IsupposeIoughttonoticethematter？’

’IfIwereyou，’saidtheLordCantrip，’IshouldputmyselfintothehandsoftheDukeofStBungay，anddoexactlywhatheadvises。ThereisnomaninEnglandknowssowellashedoeswhatshouldbedoneinsuchacaseasthis。’ThePrimeMinisterfrownedandsaidnothing。’MydearDuke，’continuedLordCantrip，’Icangiveyounootheradvice。WhoistherethathasyourpersonalinterestandyourhonouratheartsoentirelyashisGrace——andwhatmancanbeamoresagaciousormoreexperiencedadviser？’

’IwasthinkingthatyoumightaskaquestionaboutitinourHouse。’

’I？’

’Youwoulddoitformeinthemannerthat——thatwouldbefreefromalloffence。’

’IfIdiditall，Ishouldcertainlystrivetodothat。Butithasneveroccurredtomethatyouwouldmakesuchasuggestion。

Wouldyougivemeafewminutestothinkaboutit？’’Icouldn’tdoit，’LordCantripsaidafterwards。’Bytakingsuchastep，evenatyourrequest，IshouldcertainlyexpressanopinionthatthematterwasonewhichParliamentwasentitledtoexpectthatyoushouldmakeanexplanation。ButmyownopinionisthatParliamenthasnobusinesstomeddleinthematter。Idonotthinkthateveryactionofaminister’slifeshouldbemadematterofinquirybecauseanewspapermaychoosetomakeallusiontoit。Atanyrate，ifanywordissaidaboutit，itshould，I

think，besaidintheotherhouse。’