eated patriotism which is capable of strong indignation. A
party has to be managed, and he who can manage it best, will probably
be its best leader. The subordinate task of legislation and of
executive government may well fall into the inferior hands of less
astute practitioners. It was admitted on both sides that there was no
man like Sir Timothy for managing the House or coercing a party, and
there was therefore a general feeling that it would be a pity that
Sir Timothy should be squeezed out. He knew all the little secrets
of the business;--could arrange, let the cause be what it might,
to get a full House for himself and his friends, and empty benches
for his opponents,--could foresee a thousand little things to which
even a Walpole would have been blind, which a Pitt would not have
condescended to regard, but with which his familiarity made him a
very comfortable leader of the House of Commons. There were various
ideas prevalent as to the politics of the coming Session; but the
prevailing idea was in favour of Sir Timothy.

The Duke was at Longroyston, the seat of his old political ally the
Duke of St. Bungay, and had been absent from Sunday the 6th till the
morning of Friday the 11th, on which day Parliament was to meet. On
that morning at about noon a letter came to the son saying that his
father had returned and would be glad to see him. Silverbridge was
going to the House on that day and was not without his own political
anxieties. If Lord Drummond remained in, he thought that he must, for
the present, stand by the party which he had adopted. If, however,
Sir Timothy should become Prime Minister there would be a loophole
for escape. There were some three or four besides himself who
detested Sir Timothy, and in such case he might perhaps have company
in his desertion. All this was on his mind; but through all this
he was aware that there was a matter of much deeper moment which
required his energies. When his father's message was brought to him
he told himself at once that now was the time for his eloquence.

"Well, Silverbridge," said the Duke, "how are matters going on with
you?" There seemed to be something in his father's manner more than
ordinarily jocund and good-humoured.

"With me, sir?"

"I don't mean to ask any party secrets. If you and Sir Timothy
understand each other, of course you will be discreet."

"I can't be discreet, sir, because I don't know anything about him."

"When I heard," said t