. When a man has power
he ought to use it. It makes people respect him. Mr. Daubeny made a
duke, and people think more of that than anything he did. Is Mr. Finn
going to join the new ministry?"

"If you can tell me, Duchess, who is to be the new minister, I can
give a guess."

"Mr. Monk."

"Then he certainly will."

"Or Mr. Daubeny."

"Then he certainly won't."

"Or Mr. Gresham."

"That I could not answer."

"Or the Duke of Omnium."

"That would depend upon his Grace, If the Duke came back, Mr. Finn's
services would be at his disposal, whether in or out of office."

"Very prettily said, my dear. I never look round this room without
thinking of the first time I came here. Do you remember, when I found
the old man sitting there?" The old man alluded to was the late Duke.

"I am not likely to forget it, Duchess."

"How I hated you when I saw you! What a fright I thought you were! I
pictured you to myself as a sort of ogre, willing to eat up everybody
for the gratification of your own vanity."

"I was very vain, but there was a little pride with it."

"And now it has come to pass that I can't very well live without you.
How he did love you!"

"His Grace was very good to me."

"It would have done no great harm, after all, if he had made you
Duchess of Omnium."

"Very great harm to me, Lady Glen. As it is I got a friend that I
loved dearly, and a husband that I love dearly too. In the other case
I should have had neither. Perhaps I may say, that in that other
case my life would not have been brightened by the affection of the
present Duchess."

"One can't tell how it would have gone, but I well remember the
state I was in then." The door was opened and Phineas Finn entered
the room. "What, Mr. Finn, are you at home? I thought everybody
was crowding down at the clubs, to know who is to be what. We are
settled. We are quiet. We have nothing to do to disturb ourselves.
But you ought to be in all the flutter of renewed expectation."

"I am waiting my destiny in calm seclusion. I hope the Duke is well?"

"As well as can be expected. He doesn't walk about his room with a
poniard in his hand,--ready for himself or Sir Orlando; nor is he
sitting crowned like Bacchus, drinking the health of the new Ministry
with Lord Drummond and Sir Timothy. He is probably sipping a cup of
coffee over a blue-book in dignified retirement. You should go and
see him."

"I should be unwilling to trouble him when he is so muc