peton Wood.

The Duke, however, had declined to interfere personally. He had
told his wife that he should be delighted to welcome Lord and Lady
Chiltern,--as he would any other friends of hers. The guests, indeed,
at the Duke's house were never his guests, but always hers. But he
could not allow himself to be brought into an argument with Lord
Chiltern as to the management of his own property. The Duchess was
made to understand that she must prevent any such awkwardness. And
she did prevent it. "And now, Lord Chiltern," she said, "how about
the foxes?" She had taken care there should be a council of war
around her. Lady Chiltern and Madame Goesler were present, and also
Phineas Finn.

"Well;--how about them?" said the lord, showing by the fiery
eagerness of his eye, and the increased redness of his face, that
though the matter had been introduced somewhat jocosely, there could
not really be any joke about it.

"Why couldn't you keep it all out of the newspapers?"

"I don't write the newspapers, Duchess. I can't help the newspapers.
When two hundred men ride through Trumpeton Wood, and see one fox
found, and that fox with only three pads, of course the newspapers
will say that the foxes are trapped."

"We may have traps if we like it, Lord Chiltern."

"Certainly;--only say so, and we shall know where we are." He looked
very angry, and poor Lady Chiltern was covered with dismay. "The Duke
can destroy the hunt if he pleases, no doubt," said the lord.

"But we don't like traps, Lord Chiltern;--nor yet poisons nor
anything that is wicked. I'd go and nurse the foxes myself if I knew
how, wouldn't I, Marie?"

"They have robbed the Duchess of her sleep for the last six months,"
said Madame Goesler.

"And if they go on being not properly brought up and educated,
they'll make an old woman of me. As for the Duke, he can't be
comfortable in his arithmetic for thinking of them. But what can one
do?"

"Change your keepers," said Lord Chiltern energetically.

"It is easy to say,--change your keepers. How am I to set about it?
To whom can I apply to appoint others? Don't you know what vested
interests mean, Lord Chiltern?"

"Then nobody can manage his own property as he pleases?"

"Nobody can,--unless he does the work himself. If I were to go and
live in Trumpeton Wood I could do it; but you see I have to live
here. I vote that we have an officer of State, to go in and out with
the Government,--with a seat in the Cabi