er ordinary coloured
garments after sitting so long by the side of the dying man. A
hired nurse may do so, but she had not been that. If there had been
hypocrisy in her friendship the hypocrisy must be maintained to the
end.

"Poor old man! I only came back yesterday."

"I never had the pleasure of knowing his Grace," said Mr. Maule. "But
I have always heard him named as a nobleman of whom England might
well be proud."

Madame Goesler was not at the moment inclined to tell lies on the
matter, and did not think that England had much cause to be proud of
the Duke of Omnium. "He was a man who held a very peculiar position,"
she said.

"Most peculiar;--a man of infinite wealth, and of that special
dignity which I am sorry to say so many men of rank among us are
throwing aside as a garment which is too much for them. We can all
wear coats, but it is not every one that can carry a robe. The Duke
carried his to the last." Madame Goesler remembered how he looked
with his nightcap on, when he had lost his temper because they would
not let him have a glass of curacoa. "I don't know that we have any
one left that can be said to be his equal," continued Mr. Maule.

"No one like him, perhaps. He was never married, you know."

"But was once willing to marry," said Mr. Maule, "if all that we
hear be true." Madame Goesler, without a smile and equally without a
frown, looked as though the meaning of Mr. Maule's words had escaped
her. "A grand old gentleman! I don't know that anybody will ever say
as much for his heir."

"The men are very different."

"Very different indeed. I dare say that Mr. Palliser, as Mr.
Palliser, has been a useful man. But so is a coal-heaver a useful
man. The grace and beauty of life will be clean gone when we all
become useful men."

"I don't think we are near that yet."

"Upon my word, Madame Goesler, I am not so sure about it. Here are
sons of noblemen going into trade on every side of us. We have earls
dealing in butter, and marquises sending their peaches to market.
There was nothing of that kind about the Duke. A great fortune had
been entrusted to him, and he knew that it was his duty to spend it.
He did spend it, and all the world looked up to him. It must have
been a great pleasure to you to know him so well."

Madame Goesler was saved the necessity of making any answer to this
by the announcement of another visitor. The door was opened, and
Phineas Finn entered the room. He had not seen