, and their organs, including 'The Londoner.' But if Kenelm does
come into the House, it will not be on your side of the question; and
unless I greatly overrate his abilities--which very likely I do--he will
not be a rival to despise. Except, indeed, that he may have one fault
which in the present day would be enough to unfit him for public life."

"And what is that fault?"

"Treason to the blood of the Chillinglys. This is the age, in England,
when one cannot be too much of a Chillingly. I fear that if Kenelm does
become bewildered by a political abstraction,--call it, no matter what,
say, 'love of his country,' or some such old-fashioned crotchet,--I
fear, I greatly fear, that he may be--in earnest."

CHAPTER THE LAST.

IT was a field night in the House of Commons,--an adjourned debate,
opened by George Belvoir, who had been, the last two years, very slowly
creeping on in the favour, or rather the indulgence of the House, and
more than justifying Kenelm's prediction of his career. Heir to a noble
name and vast estates, extremely hard-working, very well informed, it
was impossible that he should not creep on. That night he spoke sensibly
enough, assisting his memory by frequent references to his notes;
listened to courteously, and greeted with a faint "Hear, hear!" of
relief when he had done.

Then the House gradually thinned till nine o'clock, at which hour it
became very rapidly crowded. A Cabinet minister had solemnly risen,
deposited on the table before him a formidable array of printed papers,
including a corpulent blue-book. Leaning his arm on the red box, he
commenced with this awe-compelling sentence,--

"Sir, I join issue with the right honourable gentleman opposite. He
says this is not raised as a party question. I deny it. Her Majesty's
Government are put upon their trial."

Here there were cheers, so loudly, and so rarely greeting a speech from
that Cabinet minister, that he was put out, and had much to "hum" and to
"ha," before he could recover the thread of his speech. Then he went on,
with unbroken but lethargic fluency; read long extracts from the public
papers, inflicted a whole page from the blue-book, wound up with a
peroration of respectable platitudes, glanced at the clock, saw that he
had completed the hour which a Cabinet minister who does not profess to
be oratorical is expected to speak, but not to exceed; and sat down.

Up rose a crowd of eager faces, from which the Speaker, as pre