d for Lord de Terrier, or Lord de Terrier
for Mr. Mildmay. The Prime Minister is elected by the nation, but
the nation, except in rare cases, cannot go below that in arranging
details, and the man for whom the Queen sends is burdened with the
necessity of selecting his colleagues. It may be,--probably must
always be the case,--that this, that, and the other colleagues are
clearly indicated to his mind, but then each of these colleagues
may want his own inferior coadjutors, and so the difficulty begins,
increases, and at length culminates. On the present occasion it was
known at the end of a week that Mr. Gresham had not filled all his
offices, and that there were difficulties. It was announced that the
Duke of St. Bungay could not quite agree on certain points with Mr.
Gresham, and that the Duke of Omnium would do nothing without the
other Duke. The Duke of St. Bungay was very powerful, as there were
three or four of the old adherents of Mr. Mildmay who would join
no Government unless he was with them. Sir Harry Coldfoot and Lord
Plinlimmon would not accept office without the Duke. The Duke was
essential, and now, though the Duke's character was essentially that
of a practical man who never raised unnecessary trouble, men said
that the Duke was at the bottom of it all. The Duke did not approve
of Mr. Bonteen. Mr. Gresham, so it was said, insisted on Mr.
Bonteen,--appealing to the other Duke. But that other Duke, our own
special Duke, Planty Pall that was, instead of standing up for Mr.
Bonteen, was cold and unsympathetic. He could not join the Ministry
without his friend, the Duke of St. Bungay, and as to Mr. Bonteen, he
thought that perhaps a better selection might be made.

Such were the club rumours which took place as to the difficulties
of the day, and, as is generally the case, they were not far from
the truth. Neither of the dukes had absolutely put a veto on poor Mr.
Bonteen's elevation, but they had expressed themselves dissatisfied
with the appointment, and the younger duke had found himself
called upon to explain that although he had been thrown much into
communication with Mr. Bonteen he had never himself suggested that
that gentleman should follow him at the Exchequer. This was one of
the many difficulties which beset the Prime Minister elect in the
performance of his arduous duty.

Lady Glencora, as people would still persist in calling her, was at
the bottom of it all. She had sworn an oath inimical to