if the absence were not too long, this might be
well explained to the assembled company. In the Duchess's estimation
a Prime Minister would lose nothing by pleading the nature of his
business as an excuse for such absence,--or by having such a plea
made for him. Of course he must appear at last. But as to that she
had no fear. His timidity, and his conscience also, would both be
too potent to allow him to shirk the nuisance of Gatherum altogether.
He would come, she was sure; but she did not much care how long he
deferred his coming. She was, therefore, not a little surprised when
he announced to her an alteration in his plans. This he did not many
hours after the Duke of St. Bungay had left him at the Treasury
Chambers. "I think I shall go down with you at once to Gatherum," he
said.

"What is the meaning of that?" The Duchess was not skilled in hiding
her feelings, at any rate from him, and declared to him at once by
her voice and eye that the proposed change was not gratifying to her.

"It will be better. I had thought that I would get a quiet day or two
at Matching. But as the thing has to be done, it may as well be done
at first. A man ought to receive his own guests. I can't say that I
look forward to any great pleasure in doing so on this occasion;--but
I shall do it." It was very easy to understand also the tone of his
voice. There was in it something of offended dignity, something
of future marital intentions,--something also of the weakness of
distress.

She did not want him to come at once to Gatherum. A great deal of
money was being spent, and the absolute spending was not yet quite
perfected. There might still be possibility of interference. The
tents were not all pitched. The lamps were not as yet all hung in the
conservatories. Waggons would still be coming in and workmen still be
going out. He would think less of what had been done if he could be
kept from seeing it while it was being done. And the greater crowd
which would be gathered there by the end of the first week would
carry off the vastness of the preparations. As to money, he had given
her almost carte blanche, having at one vacillatory period of his
Prime Ministership been talked by her into some agreement with her
own plans. And in regard to money he would say to himself that he
ought not to interfere with any whim of hers on that score, unless
he thought it right to crush the whim on some other score. Half what
he possessed had been hers