tering."

"But the circumstances are not usual."

"It cannot often be the case that a minister should ask the son of
his keenest political opponent to render him such a service. But,
however, we will put that aside."

"Not quite, sir."

"For the present we will put that on one side. Not looking at the
party which you may be called upon to support, having for the moment
no regard to this or that line in politics, there is no opening
to the real duties of parliamentary life which I would sooner see
accorded to you than this."

"But if I were to break down?" Talking to his father he could
not quite venture to ask what might happen if he were to "come a
cropper."

"None but the brave deserve the fair," said the Duke slapping his
hands upon the table. "Why, if we fail, 'We fail! But screw your
courage to the sticking place, And we'll not fail.' What high point
would ever be reached if caution such as that were allowed to
prevail? What young men have done before cannot you do? I have no
doubt of your capacity. None."

"Haven't you, sir?" said Silverbridge, considerably gratified,--and
also surprised.

"None in the least. But, perhaps, some of your diligence."

"I could learn it by heart, sir,--if you mean that."

"But I don't mean that; or rather I mean much more than that. You
have first to realise in your mind the thing to be said, and then
the words in which you should say it, before you come to learning by
heart."

"Some of them I suppose would tell me what to say."

"No doubt with your inexperience it would be unfit that you should be
left entirely to yourself. But I would wish you to know,--perhaps I
should say to feel,--that the sentiments to be expressed by you were
just."

"I should have to praise Sir Timothy."

"Not that necessarily. But you would have to advocate that course in
Parliament which Sir Timothy and his friends have taken and propose
to take."

"But I hate him like poison."

"There need be no personal feeling in the matter. I remember that
when I moved the address in your house Mr. Mildmay was Prime
Minister,--a man for whom my regard and esteem were unbounded,--who
had been in political matters the preceptor of my youth, whom as a
patriotic statesman I almost worshipped, whom I now remember as a
man whose departure from the arena of politics left the country very
destitute. No one has sprung up since like to him,--or hardly second
to him. But in speaking on so large a subject as