he
had spent, I paid it to him. That is all. I think the House can
hardly avoid to see that my effort was made to discontinue an
unconstitutional proceeding."

Sir James Deering asked the question. "He trusted," he said, "that
the House would not think that the question of which he had given
notice and which he was about to ask was instigated by any personal
desire on his part to inquire into the conduct of the Prime Minister.
He was one who believed that the Duke of Omnium was as little likely
as any man in England to offend by unconstitutional practice on
his own part. But a great deal had been talked and written lately
about the late election at Silverbridge, and there were those who
thought,--and he was one of them,--that something should be said to
stop the mouths of cavillers. With this object he would ask the Right
Honourable Gentleman who led the House, and who was perhaps first in
standing among the noble Duke's colleagues in that House, whether the
noble Duke was prepared to have any statement on the subject made."

The House was full to the very corners of the galleries. Of course it
was known to everybody that the question was to be asked and to be
answered. There were some who thought that the matter was so serious
that the Prime Minister could not get over it. Others had heard in
the clubs that Lady Glen, as the Duchess was still called, was to be
made the scapegoat. Men of all classes were open-mouthed in their
denunciation of the meanness of Lopez,--though no one but Mr. Wharton
knew half his villainy, as he alone knew that the expenses had been
paid twice over. In one corner of the reporters' gallery sat Mr.
Slide, pencil in hand, prepared to revert to his old work on so
momentous an occasion. It was a great day for him. He by his own
unassisted energy had brought a Prime Minister to book, and had
created all this turmoil. It might be his happy lot to be the means
of turning that Prime Minister out of office. It was he who had
watched over the nation! The Duchess had been most anxious to be
present,--but had not ventured to come without asking her husband's
leave, which he had most peremptorily refused to give. "I cannot
understand, Glencora, how you can suggest such a thing," he had said.

"You make so much of everything," she had replied petulantly; but she
had remained at home. The ladies' gallery was, however, quite full.
Mrs. Finn was there, of course, anxious not only for her friend,
but eager