ent," he
said. "What do you know about it?"

"If I get there, I can learn like anybody else, I suppose."

"Half of those who go there don't learn. They are, as it were, born
to it, and they do very well to support this party or that."

"And why shouldn't I support this party,--or that?"

"I don't suppose you know which party you would support,--except that
you'd vote for the Duke, if, as I suppose, you are to get in under
the Duke's influence. If I went into the House I should go with a
fixed and settled purpose of my own."

"I'm not there yet," said Lopez, willing to drop the subject.

"It will be a great expense to you, and will stand altogether in the
way of your profession. As far as Emily is concerned, I should think
my father would be dead against it."

"Then he would be unreasonable."

"Not at all, if he thought you would injure your professional
prospects. It is a d---- piece of folly; that's the long and the
short of it."

This certainly was very uncivil, and it almost made Lopez angry. But
he had made up his mind that his friend was a little the worse for
the wine he had drunk, and therefore he did not resent even this.
"Never mind politics and Parliament now," he said, "but let us get
home. I am beginning to be sick of this. It's so awfully dark, and
whenever I do hear a step, I think somebody is coming to rob us. Let
us get on a bit."

"What the deuce are you afraid of?" said Everett. They had then come
up the greater part of the length of the Birdcage Walk, and the
lights at Storey's Gate were just visible, but the road on which they
were then walking was very dark. The trees were black over their
head, and not a step was heard near them. At this time it was just
midnight. Now, certainly, among the faults which might be justly
attributed to Lopez, personal cowardice could not be reckoned. On
this evening he had twice spoken of being afraid, but the fear had
simply been that which ordinary caution indicates; and his object had
been that of hindering Wharton in the first place from coming into
the park, and then of getting him out of it as quickly as possible.

"Come along," said Lopez.

"By George, you are in a blue funk," said the other. "I can hear your
teeth chattering." Lopez, who was beginning to be angry, walked on
and said nothing. It was too absurd, he thought, for real anger, but
he kept a little in front of Wharton, intending to show that he was
displeased. "You had better run away