, and joined the party as they had
finished their fish. "I am awfully sorry," he said, rushing up to his
father, "but I thought that I should just hit it."

"There is no occasion for awe," said the Duke, "as a sufficiency of
dinner is left. But how you should have hit it, as you say,--seeing
that the train is not due at Bridstock till 7.05, I do not know."

"I've done it often, sir," said Silverbridge, taking the seat left
vacant for him next to Lady Mabel. "We've had a political caucus of
the party,--all the members who could be got together in London,--at
Sir Timothy's, and I was bound to attend."

"We've all heard of that," said Phineas Finn.

"And we pretty well know all the points of Sir Timothy's eloquence,"
said Barrington Erle.

"I am not going to tell any of the secrets. I have no doubt that
there were reporters present, and you will see the whole of it in the
papers to-morrow." Then Silverbridge turned to his neighbour. "Well,
Lady Mab, and how are you this long time?"

"But how are you? Think what you have gone through since we were at
Killancodlem!"

"Don't talk of it."

"I suppose it is not to be talked of."

"Though upon the whole it has happened very luckily. I have got rid
of the accursed horses, and my governor has shown what a brick he can
be. I don't think there is another man in England who would have done
as he did."

"There are not many who could."

"There are fewer who would. When they came into my bedroom that
morning and told me that the horse could not run, I thought I should
have broken my heart. Seventy thousand pounds gone!"

"Seventy thousand pounds!"

"And the honour and glory of winning the race! And then the feeling
that one had been so awfully swindled! Of course I had to look as
though I did not care a straw about it, and to go and see the race,
with a jaunty air and a cigar in my mouth. That is what I call hard
work."

"But you did it!"

"I tried. I wish I could explain to you my state of mind that day.
In the first place the money had to be got. Though it was to go into
the hands of swindlers, still it had to be paid. I don't know how
your father and Percival get on together;--but I felt very like the
prodigal son."

"It is very different with papa."

"I suppose so. I felt very like hanging myself when I was alone that
evening. And now everything is right again."

"I am glad that everything is right," she said, with a strong
emphasis on the "everything."