esn't
take this badly, I don't mean that it doesn't vex him. I know it
vexes him. But he doesn't quarrel with me. He even wrote down to
Barsetshire to say that all my expenses at Silverbridge were to be
paid."

"I call that very bad politics," said the Earl.

"It seems to me to be very grand," said Frank.

"Perhaps, sir, you don't know what is good or what is bad in
politics," said the Earl, trying to snub his guest.

But it was difficult to snub Frank. "I know a gentleman when I see
him, I think," he said. "Of course Silverbridge is right to be a
Conservative. Nobody has a stronger opinion about that than I have.
But the Duke is behaving so well that if I were he I should almost
regret it."

"And so I do," said Silverbridge.

When the ladies were gone the old Earl turned himself round to the
fire, having filled his glass and pushed the bottles away from him,
as though he meant to leave the two young men to themselves. He sat
leaning with his head on his hand, looking the picture of woe. It was
now only nine o'clock, and there would be no whist at the Beaufort
till eleven. There was still more than an hour to be endured before
the brougham would come to fetch him. "I suppose we shall have a
majority," said Frank, trying to rouse him.

"Who does 'We' mean?" asked the Earl.

"The Conservatives, of whom I take the liberty to call myself one."

"It sounded as though you were a very influential member of the
party."

"I consider myself to be one of the party, and so I say 'We.'"

Upstairs in the drawing-room Miss Cassewary did her duty loyally.
It was quite right that young ladies and young gentlemen should be
allowed to talk together, and very right indeed that such a young
gentleman as Lord Silverbridge should be allowed to talk to such a
young lady as Lady Mabel. What could be so nice as a marriage between
the heir of the house of Omnium and Lady Mabel Grex? Lady Mabel
looked indeed to be the elder,--but they were in truth the same
age. All the world acknowledged that Lady Mabel was very clever and
very beautiful and fit to be a Duchess. Even the Earl, when Miss
Cassewary hinted at the matter to him, grunted an assent. Lady Mabel
had already refused one or two not ineligible offers, and it was
necessary that something should be done. There had been at one time a
fear in Miss Cassewary's bosom lest her charge should fall too deeply
in love with Frank Tregear;--but Miss Cassewary knew that whatever
danger th