served, shrugging his shoulders, "to talk expediency is not
a safe way of opening the game with Orange. Many men have ability, few
have genius, but fewer still have character. Orange has a rectangular
will and an indomitable character. _Character_ is the rarest thing in
England."

Lord Garrow stiffened his back.

"I have been educated in a contrary belief," said he. "Our national
character is our dearest possession."

"That is because it is so rare. You mistake your education for your
experience--a common error. By character I mean that remnant of a man's
life which is probably stronger than death, and ought to be stronger
than worldly considerations."

"Far be it from me to go into such subtleties," returned his lordship,
stealing a glance at Disraeli's powerful face. "Your friend, at all
events, has done for himself now. His merits seem to be more interesting
than respectable, and this marriage has furnished conversation for the
whole town--chiefly because Beauclerk Reckage was his best man. One
cannot help feeling sorry for him, but it is certainly a very bad thing.
How will he justify his rash conduct?"

"He may think it unwise to be detailed in self-justification."

"That is all well enough, and so far I am with you. In such
circumstances, one doesn't want to tell a lie, and yet one doesn't want
to tell the truth."

"Well, there are many duties and difficulties in life: there is but one
obligation--courage."

He fixed his eyes on the fire blazing in the grate, and repeated the
word with great emphasis--"Courage!"

"He will need it. An unpleasant suggestion has been put forward by the
lawyers."

"Divorce?" said Disraeli.

"Yes."

"A Bishop was telling me the other day that when one attacks the
principle of divorce one forgets that it was originally a Divine
institution! But I agree with you--it is unpleasant. You will find that
Orange won't hear of such a course. I see great dangers ahead for him,
but I see no honourable way of avoiding them. When a man, careless of
danger, unconcerned with profit, takes up the cause of God against the
world, others may not follow, but they must admire him. Abstract
sentiments of virtue do not charm me. Orange is a Roman Catholic,
however, and therefore a practical idealist. The practical idealists of
England are the Dissenters--mostly the Methodists. John Wesley was
considered crack-brained by his contemporaries at Oxford; he was a
greater mystic, in several ways,