ou failed to kill now?"

"Those people at Silverbridge still say that I want to return a
member for them."

"Oh; that's the evil! You know I think that instead of killing an
evil, you have murdered an excellent institution." This at any rate
was very imprudent on the part of the Duchess. After that disobedient
word spoken to Mr. Sprugeon, she should have been more on her guard.

"As to that, Glencora, I must judge for myself."

"Oh yes,--you have been jury, and judge, and executioner."

"I have done as I thought right to do. I am sorry that I should fail
to carry you with me in such a matter, but even failing in that I
must do my duty. You will at any rate agree with me that when I say
the thing should be done, it should be done."

"If you wanted to destroy the house, and cut down all the trees,
and turn the place into a wilderness, I suppose you would only have
to speak. Of course I know it would be wrong that I should have an
opinion. As 'man' you are of course to have your own way." She was
in one of her most aggravating moods. Though he might compel her to
obey, he could not compel her to hold her tongue.

"Glencora, I don't think you know how much you add to my troubles, or
you would not speak to me like that."

"What am I to say? It seems to me that any more suicidal thing than
throwing away the borough never was done. Who will thank you? What
additional support will you get? How will it increase your power?
It's like King Lear throwing off his clothes in the storm because his
daughters turned him out. And you didn't do it because you thought it
right."

"Yes, I did," he said, scowling.

"You did it because Major Pountney disgusted you. You kicked him out.
Why wouldn't that satisfy you without sacrificing the borough? It
isn't what I think or say about it, but that everybody is thinking
and saying the same thing."

"I choose that it shall be so."

"Very well."

"And I don't choose that your name shall be mixed up in it. They say
in Silverbridge that you are canvassing for Mr. Lopez."

"Who says so?"

"I presume it's not true."

"Who says so, Plantagenet?"

"It matters not who has said so, if it be untrue. I presume it to be
false."

"Of course it is false." Then the Duchess remembered her word to Mr.
Sprugeon, and the cowardice of the lie was heavy on her. I doubt
whether she would have been so shocked by the idea of a falsehood as
to have been kept back from it had she before resolved tha