em as well as to yourself
not to sink into seclusion. Send me a line when you think
that you can come to me that I may be at home. My journey
to Prague was nothing. You forget that I am constantly
going to Vienna on business connected with my own property
there. Prague lies but a few hours out of the route.

Most sincerely yours,

M. M. G.

His friends who did see him urged him constantly to bestir himself,
and Mr. Monk pressed him very much to come down to the House. "Walk
in with me to-night, and take your seat as though nothing had
happened," said Mr. Monk.

"But so much has happened."

"Nothing has happened to alter your outward position as a man. No
doubt many will flock round you to congratulate you, and your first
half-hour will be disagreeable; but then the thing will have been
done. You owe it to your constituents to do so." Then Phineas for the
first time expressed an opinion that he would resign his seat,--that
he would take the Chiltern Hundreds, and retire altogether from
public life.

"Pray do nothing of the kind," said Mr. Monk.

"I do not think you quite understand," said Phineas, "how such an
ordeal as this works upon a man, how it may change a man, and knock
out of him what little strength there ever was there. I feel that I
am broken, past any patching up or mending. Of course it ought not to
be so. A man should be made of better stuff;--but one is only what
one is."

"We'll put off the discussion for another week," said Mr. Monk.

"There came a letter to me when I was in prison from one of the
leading men in Tankerville, saying that I ought to resign. I know
they all thought that I was guilty. I do not care to sit for a place
where I was so judged,--even if I was fit any longer for a seat in
Parliament." He had never felt convinced that Mr. Monk had himself
believed with confidence his innocence, and he spoke with soreness,
and almost with anger.

"A letter from one individual should never be allowed to create
interference between a member and his constituents. It should simply
be answered to that effect, and then ignored. As to the belief of the
townspeople in your innocence,--what is to guide you? I believed you
innocent with all my heart."

"Did you?"

"But there was always sufficient possibility of your guilt to prevent
a rational man from committing himself to the expression of an
absolute conviction." The young member's brow became black as he
heard thi