er day of the time when he gave up going into power for the sake
of taking me abroad. Ah me! how much was happening then,--and how
much has happened since that! We didn't know you then."

"He has been a good husband to you."

"And I have been a good wife to him! I have never had him for an
hour out of my heart since that, or ever for a moment forgotten his
interest. I can't live with him because he shuts himself up reading
blue-books, and is always at his office or in the House;--but I would
if I could. Am I not doing it all for him? You don't think that the
Captain Gunners are particularly pleasant to me! Think of your life
and of mine. You have had lovers."

"One in my life,--when I was quite entitled to have one."

"Well; I am Duchess of Omnium, and I am the wife of the Prime
Minister, and I had a larger property of my own than any other young
woman that ever was born; and I am myself too,--Glencora M'Cluskie
that was, and I've made for myself a character that I'm not ashamed
of. But I'd be the curate's wife to-morrow, and make puddings, if I
could only have my own husband and my own children with me. What's
the use of it all? I like you better than anybody else, but you do
nothing but scold me." Still the parties went on, and the Duchess
laboured hard among her guests, and wore her jewels, and stood on
her feet all the night, night after night, being civil to one person,
bright to a second, confidential to a third, and sarcastic to an
unfortunate fourth;--and in the morning she would work hard with
her lists, seeing who had come to her and who had stayed away, and
arranging who should be asked and who should be omitted.

In the meantime the Duke altogether avoided these things. At
first he had been content to show himself, and escape as soon as
possible;--but now he was never seen at all in his own house, except
at certain heavy dinners. To Richmond he never went at all, and in
his own house in town very rarely even passed through the door that
led into the reception rooms. He had not time for ordinary society.
So said the Duchess. And many, perhaps the majority of those who
frequented the house, really believed that his official duties were
too onerous to leave him time for conversation. But in truth the
hours went heavily with him as he sat alone in his study, sighing for
some sweet parliamentary task, and regretting the days in which he
was privileged to sit in the House of Commons till two o'clock in the
m