for the house of Omnium, and that the house of Omnium ought to
know it.

"That's very kind of you," said Lord Silverbridge, who had not read
as carefully as he should have done the letters which had been sent
to him, and did not therefore quite understand the position.

"Mr. Du Boung had intended to stand himself," said Mr. Sprout.

"But retired in your Lordship's favour," said Mr. Sprugeon.

"In doing which I considered that I studied the interest of the
borough," said Mr. Du Boung.

"I thought you gave it up because there was hardly a footing for a
Liberal," said his Lordship, very imprudently.

"The borough was always Liberal till the last election," said Mr. Du
Boung, drawing himself up.

"The borough wishes on this occasion to be magnanimous," said
Mr. Sprout, probably having on his mind some confusion between
magnanimity and unanimity.

"As your Lordship is coming among us, the borough is anxious to sink
politics altogether for the moment," said Mr. Sprugeon. There had no
doubt been a compact between the Sprugeon and Sprout party and the Du
Boung party in accordance with which it had been arranged that Mr. Du
Boung should be entitled to a certain amount of glorification in the
presence of Lord Silverbridge.

"And it was in compliance with that wish on the part of the borough,
my Lord," said Mr. Du Boung,--"as to which my own feelings were quite
as strong as that of any other gentleman in the borough,--that I
conceived it to be my duty to give way."

"His Lordship is quite aware how much he owes to Mr. Du Boung," said
Tregear. Whereupon Lord Silverbridge bowed.

"And now what are we to do?" said Lord Silverbridge.

Then there was a little whispering between Mr. Sprout and Mr.
Sprugeon. "Perhaps, Mr. Du Boung," said Sprugeon, "his Lordship had
better call first on Dr. Tempest."

"Perhaps," said the injured brewer, "as it is to be a party affair
after all I had better retire from the scene."

"I thought all that was to be given up," said Tregear.

"Oh, certainly," said Sprout. "Suppose we go to Mr. Walker first?"

"I'm up to anything," said Lord Silverbridge; "but of course
everybody understands that I am a Conservative."

"Oh dear, yes," said Sprugeon.

"We are all aware of that," said Sprout.

"And very glad we've all of us been to hear it," said the landlord.

"Though there are some in the borough who could have wished, my Lord,
that you had stuck to the old Palliser politics," said Mr. Du