ough he well knew how to
keep it in abeyance,--even to the extent of self-sacrifice. Bonteens
must creep into the holy places. The faces which he loved to
see,--born chiefly of other faces he had loved when young,--could not
cluster around the sacred table without others which were much less
welcome to him. He was wise enough to know that exclusiveness did not
suit the nation, though human enough to feel that it must have been
pleasant to himself. There must be Bonteens;--but when any Bonteen
came up, who loomed before his eyes as specially disagreeable, it
seemed to him to be a duty to close the door against such a one, if
it could be closed without violence. A constant, gentle pressure
against the door would tend to keep down the number of the Bonteens.

"I am not sure that you are not going a little too quick in regard
to Mr. Bonteen," said the elder duke to Mr. Gresham before he had
finally assented to a proposition originated by himself,--that he
should sit in the Cabinet without a portfolio.

"Palliser wishes it," said Mr. Gresham, shortly.

"He and I think that there has been some mistake about that. You
suggested the appointment to him, and he felt unwilling to raise an
objection without giving the matter very mature consideration. You
can understand that."

"Upon my word I thought that the selection would be peculiarly
agreeable to him." Then the duke made a suggestion. "Could not some
special office at the Treasury be constructed for Mr. Bonteen's
acceptance, having special reference to the question of decimal
coinage?"

"But how about the salary?" asked Mr. Gresham. "I couldn't propose a
new office with a salary above L2,000."

"Couldn't we make it permanent," suggested the duke;--"with
permission to hold a seat if he can get one?"

"I fear not," said Mr. Gresham.

"He got into a very unpleasant scrape when he was Financial
Secretary," said the Duke.

But whither would'st thou, Muse? Unmeet
For jocund lyre are themes like these.
Shalt thou the talk of Gods repeat,
Debasing by thy strains effete
Such lofty mysteries?

The absolute words of a conversation so lofty shall no longer be
attempted, but it may be said that Mr. Gresham was too wise to
treat as of no account the objections of such a one as the Duke
of St. Bungay. He saw Mr. Bonteen, and he saw the other duke, and
difficulties arose. Mr. Bonteen made himself very disagreeable
indeed. As Mr. Bonteen had never abso