nt," was the cool reply.

"What in prospective, then?"

"I should like to be the Secretary for Ireland, Meek, whenever they
shelve you among the other unredeemed pledges in that pawn-office, the
Board of Trade."

Meek affected a laugh, but not over successfully, while to turn the
conversation, he said, "_A propos_ to your friend Cashel, I have not
been able to show him any attentions, so occupied have I been with one
thing and another. Let us make a dinner for him."

"No, no, he does n't care for such things. Come and Join his
house-warming on the Shannon; that will be far better."

"I mean it, but I should like also to see him here. He knows the
Kilgoffs, doesn't he?"

"Slightly. By the way, what are you going to do with my Lord? He wants,
like Sancho, to be governor of an island."

"What an old bore! without brains, fortune, or influence."

"He has a very pretty wife, Meek. Don't you think the Foreign Office
would recognize _that_ claim?"

"So they send him out of this, I am content. But to return to what we
were talking about. Shall we say Friday? or will Saturday suit you? and
we'll make up a small party."

"I fear not. I mean to leave the town by the end of the week."

"Not for any time?"

"A few days only, and then I shall be at your orders. Meanwhile, leave
Cashel to himself; he has got some suspicions--Heaven knows whence or
how--that his borough influence makes him a very important card just
now; therefore don't notice him, starve him out, and you 'll have him
come forth with a white flag one of these days. I know him well, and the
chances are that, if he were to attribute any of your civilities to the
score of your calculation respecting his political influence, he would
at once become your most determined opponent."

"But his borough--"

"Let him represent it himself, Meek, and it's the next best thing to
disfranchisement."

"He would not be likely to accept any advice from us?" asked Meek, half
timidly.

"To a certainty he would not, although proffered in your own most
insinuating manner. Come, Meek, no nonsense; you must look out for
a seat for your _protege_ Clare Jones, elsewhere; though I tell you
frankly he is not worth the trouble."

"I declare you are all wrong, Linton--quite wrong; I was thinking
whether from motives of delicacy you would not like to press your own
claim, which _we_ might, with so much propriety."

"Thanks," said Linton; while a sly twinkle of his eye showed t