been called
upon to talk to her. Now she doubted how to name the Duchess, and
with some show of hesitation decided at last upon not naming her at
all. "It is very good of you to come," she said in a faltering voice.

"I told you that I would when I wrote, you know. That is many months
ago, but I have not forgotten it. You have been in the country since
that, I think?"

"Yes, in Herefordshire. Herefordshire is our county."

"I know all about it," said the Duchess, smiling. She generally did
contrive to learn "all about" the people whom she chose to take by
the hand. "We have a Herefordshire gentleman sitting for,--I must
not say our borough of Silverbridge." She was anxious to make some
allusion to Arthur Fletcher; but it was difficult to travel on that
Silverbridge ground, as Lopez had been her chosen candidate when she
still wished to claim the borough as an appanage of the Palliser
family. Emily, however, kept her countenance and did not show by any
sign that her thoughts were running in that direction. "And though we
don't presume to regard Mr. Fletcher," continued the Duchess, "as in
any way connected with our local interests, he has always supported
the Duke, and I hope has become a friend of ours. I think he is a
neighbour of yours in the country."

"Oh, yes. My cousin is married to his brother."

"I knew there was something of that kind. He told me that there was
some close alliance." The Duchess as she looked at the woman to whom
she wanted to be kind did not as yet dare to express a wish that
there might at some not very distant time be a closer alliance. She
had come there intending to do so; and had still some hope that she
might do it before the interview was over. But at any rate she would
not do it yet. "Have I not heard," she said, "something of another
marriage?"

"My brother is going to marry his cousin, Sir Alured Wharton's
daughter."

"Ah;--I thought it had been one of the Fletchers. It was our member
who told me, and he spoke as though they were all his very dear
friends."

"They are dear friends,--very." Poor Emily still didn't know whether
to call her Duchess, my Lady, or your Grace,--and yet felt the need
of calling her by some special name.

"Exactly. I supposed it was so. They tell me Mr. Fletcher will become
quite a favourite in the House. At this present moment nobody knows
on which side anybody is going to sit to-morrow. It may be that Mr.
Fletcher will become the dire enemy of