e short of it. A clean-made little mare, isn't
she?" This last observation did not refer to Adelaide Palliser, but
to an animal standing in Lord Chiltern's stables. "He bought her from
Charlie Dickers for a twenty pound note last April. The mare hadn't
a leg to stand upon. Charlie had been stagging with her for the last
two months, and knocked her all to pieces. She's a screw, of course,
but there isn't anything carries Chiltern so well. There's nothing
like a good screw. A man'll often go with two hundred and fifty
guineas between his legs, supposed to be all there because the
animal's sound, and yet he don't know his work. If you like schooling
a young 'un, that's all very well. I used to be fond of it myself;
but I've come to feel that being carried to hounds without much
thinking about it is the cream of hunting, after all. I wonder what
the ladies are at? Shall we go back and see?" Then they turned to the
house, and Mr. Spooner began to be a little fidgety. "Do they sit
altogether mostly all the morning?"

"I fancy they do."

"I suppose there's some way of dividing them. They tell me you know
all about women. If you want to get one to yourself, how do you
manage it?"

"In perpetuity, do you mean, Mr. Spooner?"

"Any way;--in the morning, you know."

"Just to say a few words to her?"

"Exactly that;--just to say a few words. I don't mind asking you,
because you've done this kind of thing before."

"I should watch my opportunity," said Phineas, remembering a period
of his life in which he had watched much and had found it very
difficult to get an opportunity.

"But I must go after lunch," said Mr. Spooner; "I'm expected home to
dinner, and I don't know much whether they'll like me to stop over
Sunday."

"If you were to tell Lady Chiltern--"

"I was to have gone on Thursday, you know. You won't tell anybody?"

"Oh dear no."

"I think I shall propose to that girl. I've about made up my mind to
do it, only a fellow can't call her out before half a dozen of them.
Couldn't you get Lady C. to trot her out into the garden? You and she
are as thick as thieves."

"I should think Miss Palliser was rather difficult to be managed."

Phineas declined to interfere, taking upon himself to assure Mr.
Spooner that attempts to arrange matters in that way never
succeeded. He went in and settled himself to the work of answering
correspondents at Tankerville, while Mr. Spooner hung about the
drawing-room, hoping that