er from very
old habit, or from the working of his own mind."

"You're always singing his praises, Marie."

"I don't know that there is any special praise in what I say; but as
far as I can see, it is the man's character."

"Mr. Finn will come in, of course," said the Duchess.

"Mr. Finn will be like the Duke in one thing. He'll take his own way
as to being in or out quite independently of his wife."

"You'd like him to be in office?"

"No, indeed! Why should I? He would be more often at the House,
and keep later hours, and be always away all the morning into the
bargain. But I shall like him to do as he likes himself."

"Fancy thinking of all that. I'd sit up all night every night of
my life.--I'd listen to every debate in the House myself,--to have
Plantagenet Prime Minister. I like to be busy. Well now, if it does
come off--"

"It isn't settled, then?"

"How can one hope that a single journey will settle it, when those
other men have been going backwards and forwards between Windsor and
London, like buckets in a well, for the last three weeks? But if it
is settled, I mean to have a cabinet of my own, and I mean that you
shall do the foreign affairs."

"You'd better let me be at the exchequer. I'm very good at accounts."

"I'll do that myself. The accounts that I intend to set a-going
would frighten any one less audacious. And I mean to be my own home
secretary, and to keep my own conscience,--and to be my own master of
the ceremonies certainly. I think a small cabinet gets on best. Do
you know,--I should like to put the Queen down."

"What on earth do you mean?"

"No treason; nothing of that kind. But I should like to make
Buckingham Palace second-rate; and I'm not quite sure but I can. I
dare say you don't quite understand me."

"I don't think that I do, Lady Glen."

"You will some of these days. Come in to-morrow before lunch. I
suppose I shall know all about it then, and shall have found that my
basket of crockery has been kicked over and every thing smashed."

CHAPTER VII

Another Old Friend

At about nine the Duke had returned, and was eating his very simple
dinner in the breakfast-room,--a beefsteak and a potato, with a glass
of sherry and Apollinaris water. No man more easily satisfied as to
what he eat and drank lived in London in those days. As regarded the
eating and drinking he dined alone, but his wife sat with him and
waited on him, having sent the servant out of the room.