e
Beargarden. Where was he to live? The Boncassens were in Paris, his
sister was at Matching with a houseful of other Pallisers, and his
father was again deep in politics.

Of course he was much in the House of Commons, but that also was
stupid. Indeed everything would be stupid till Isabel came back.
Perhaps dinner was more comfortable at the club than at the House.
And then, as everybody knew, it was a good thing to change the scene.
Therefore he dined at the club, and though he would keep his hansom
and go down to the House again in the course of the evening, he spent
many long hours at the Beargarden. "There'll very soon be an end of
this as far as you are concerned," said Mr. Lupton to him one evening
as they were sitting in the smoking-room after dinner.

"The sooner the better as far as this place is concerned."

"This place is as good as any other. For the matter of that I like
the Beargarden since we got rid of two or three not very charming
characters."

"You mean my poor friend Tifto," said Silverbridge.

"No;--I was not thinking of Tifto. There were one or two here who
were quite as bad as Tifto. I wonder what has become of that poor
devil?"

"I don't know in the least. You heard of that row about the hounds?"

"And his letter to you."

"He wrote to me,--and I answered him, as you know. But whither he
vanished, or what he is doing, or how he is living, I have not the
least idea."

"Gone to join those other fellows abroad, I should say. Among them
they got a lot of money,--as the Duke ought to remember."

"He is not with them," said Silverbridge, as though he were in some
degree mourning over the fate of his unfortunate friend.

"I suppose Captain Green was the leader in all that?"

"Now it is all done and gone I own to a certain regard for the Major.
He was true to me till he thought I snubbed him. I would not let him
go down to Silverbridge with me. I always thought that I drove the
poor Major to his malpractices."

At this moment Dolly Longstaff sauntered into the room and came up
to them. It may be remembered that Dolly had declared his purpose
of emigrating. As soon as he heard that the Duke's heir had serious
thoughts of marrying the lady whom he loved he withdrew at once from
the contest, but, as he did so, he acknowledged that there could be
no longer a home for him in the country which Isabel was to inhabit
as the wife of another man. Gradually, however, better thoughts
returned to