se about it?" asked Mrs. Finn.

"There was not a row, but there was enough of a quarrel to be visible
and audible. He walked about and talked loud to the poor woman. Of
course it was my own fault. But the man was clever and I liked him,
and people told me that he was of the right sort."

"The Duke heard of it?"

"No;--and I hope he won't. It would be such a triumph for him, after
all the fuss at Silverbridge. But he never hears of anything. If two
men fought a duel in his own dining-room he would be the last man in
London to know it."

"Then say nothing about it, and don't ask the men any more."

"You may be sure I won't ask the man with the wife any more. The
other man is in Parliament and can't be thrown over so easily--and it
wasn't his fault. But I'm getting so sick of it all! I'm told that
Sir Orlando has complained to Plantagenet that he isn't asked to the
dinners."

"Impossible!"

"Don't you mention it, but he has. Warburton has told me so."
Warburton was one of the Duke's private secretaries.

"What did the Duke say?"

"I don't quite know. Warburton is one of my familiars, but I didn't
like to ask him for more than he chose to tell me. Warburton
suggested that I should invite Sir Orlando at once; but there I was
obdurate. Of course, if Plantagenet tells me I'll ask the man to come
every day of the week;--but it is one of those things that I shall
need to be told directly. My idea is, you know, that they had better
get rid of Sir Orlando,--and that if Sir Orlando chooses to kick over
the traces, he may be turned loose without any danger. One has little
birds that give one all manner of information, and one little bird
has told me that Sir Orlando and Mr. Roby don't speak. Mr. Roby is
not very much himself, but he is a good straw to show which way the
wind blows. Plantagenet certainly sent no message about Sir Orlando,
and I'm afraid the gentleman must look for his dinners elsewhere."

The Duke had in truth expressed himself very plainly to Mr.
Warburton; but with so much indiscreet fretfulness that the discreet
private secretary had not told it even to the Duchess. "This kind
of thing argues a want of cordiality that may be fatal to us," Sir
Orlando had said somewhat grandiloquently to the Duke, and the Duke
had made--almost no reply. "I suppose I may ask my own guests in
my own house," he had said afterwards to Mr. Warburton, "though in
public life I am everybody's slave." Mr. Warburton, anxious of