d be a very nice thing for them all to have Ferdinand in
Parliament,--she always called him Ferdinand now,--Mr. Wharton railed
at her. "Why should it be a nice thing? I wonder whether you have any
idea of a meaning in your head when you say that. Do you suppose that
a man gets L1000 a year by going into Parliament?"

"Laws, Mr. Wharton; how uncivil you are! Of course I know that
members of Parliament ain't paid."

"Where's the niceness then? If a man has his time at his command and
has studied the art of legislation it may be nice, because he will be
doing his duty;--or if he wants to get into the government ruck like
your brother-in-law, it may be nice;--or if he be an idle man with
a large fortune it may be nice to have some place to go to. But why
it should be nice for Ferdinand Lopez I cannot understand. Everett
has some idea in his head when he talks about Parliament,--though I
cannot say that I agree with him." It may easily be understood that
after this Emily would say nothing further in Manchester Square as to
her husband's prospects at Silverbridge.

Lopez was at Silverbridge for a couple of days, and then returned,
as his wife thought, by no means confident of success. He remained
in town nearly a week, and during that time he managed to see the
Duchess. He had written to her saying that he would do himself
the honour of calling on her, and when he came was admitted. But
the account he gave to his wife of the visit did not express much
satisfaction. It was quite late in the evening before he told her
whither he had been. He had intended to keep the matter to himself,
and at last spoke of it,--guided by the feeling which induces all men
to tell their secrets to their wives,--because it was a comfort to
him to talk to some one who would not openly contradict him. "She's a
sly creature after all," he said.

"I had always thought that she was too open rather than sly," said
his wife.

"People always try to get a character just opposite to what they
deserve. When I hear that a man is always to be believed, I know that
he is the most dangerous liar going. She hummed and hawed and would
not say a word about the borough. She went so far as to tell me that
I wasn't to say a word about it to her."

"Wasn't that best if her husband wished her not to talk of it?"

"It is all humbug and falsehood to the very bottom. She knows that I
am spending money about it, and she ought to be on the square with
me. She ought t