himself, and was leaning back in his
chair, raised himself up, placed his hands on the table before him,
and looked his son hard in the face. The idea which Silverbridge had
just expressed had certainly occurred to himself. He remembered well
all the circumstances of the time when he and Sir Timothy Beeswax
had been members of the same government;--and he remembered how
animosities had grown, and how treacherous he had thought the man.
From the moment in which he had read the minister's letter to the
young member, he had felt that the offer had too probably come from a
desire to make the political separation between himself and his son
complete. But he had thought that in counselling his son he was bound
to ignore such a feeling; and it certainly had not occurred to him
that Silverbridge would be astute enough to perceive the same thing.

"What makes you fancy that?" said the Duke, striving to conceal
by his manner, but not altogether successful in concealing, the
gratification which he certainly felt.

"Well, sir, I am not sure that I can explain it. Of course it is
putting you in a different boat from me."

"You have already chosen your boat."

"Perhaps he thinks I may get out again. I dislike the skipper so
much, that I am not sure that I shall not."

"Oh, Silverbridge,--that is such a fault! So much is included in that
which is unstatesmanlike, unpatriotic, almost dishonest! Do you mean
to say that you would be this or that in politics according to your
personal liking for an individual?"

"When you don't trust the leader, you can't believe very firmly in
the followers," said Silverbridge doggedly. "I won't say, sir, what I
may do. Though I dare say that what I think is not of much account, I
do think a good deal about it."

"I am glad of that."

"And as I think it not at all improbable that I may go back again, if
you don't mind it, I will refuse." Of course after that the Duke had
no further arguments to use in favour of Sir Timothy's proposition.

CHAPTER LXVIII

Brook Street

Silverbridge had now a week on his hands which he felt he might
devote to the lady of his love. It was a comfort to him that he need
have nothing to do with the address. To have to go, day after day,
to the Treasury in order that he might learn his lesson, would have
been disagreeable to him. He did not quite know how the lesson
would have been communicated, but fancied it would have come from
"Old Roby," whom he did