ve his very
valuable services to the country with the view of carrying through
Parliament the great measure of decimal coinage he should be
President of the Board of Trade,--but without a seat in the Cabinet.
He would thus become the Right Honourable Bonteen, which, no doubt,
would be a great thing for him,--and, not busy in the Cabinet,
must be able to devote his time exclusively to the great measure
above-named. What was to become of "Trade" generally, was not
specially explained; but, as we all know, there would be a
Vice-President to attend to details.

The proposition very nearly broke the man's heart. With a voice
stopped by agitation, with anger flashing from his eyes, almost in a
convulsion of mixed feelings, he reminded his chief of what had been
said about his appointment in the House. Mr. Gresham had already
absolutely defended it. After that did Mr. Gresham mean to withdraw
a promise that had so formally been made? But Mr. Gresham was not to
be caught in that way. He had made no promise;--had not even stated
to the House that such appointment was to be made. A very improper
question had been asked as to a rumour,--in answering which he
had been forced to justify himself by explaining that discussions
respecting the office had been necessary. "Mr. Bonteen," said
Mr. Gresham, "no one knows better than you the difficulties of a
Minister. If you can act with us I shall be very grateful to you. If
you cannot, I shall regret the loss of your services." Mr. Bonteen
took twenty-four hours to consider, and was then appointed President
of the Board of Trade without a seat in the Cabinet. Mr. Legge Wilson
became Chancellor of the Exchequer. When the lists were completed,
no office whatever was assigned to Phineas Finn. "I haven't done
with Mr. Bonteen yet," said the young duchess to her friend Madame
Goesler.

The secrets of the world are very marvellous, but they are not
themselves half so wonderful as the way in which they become known to
the world. There could be no doubt that Mr. Bonteen's high ambition
had foundered, and that he had been degraded through the secret
enmity of the Duchess of Omnium. It was equally certain that his
secret enmity to Phineas Finn had brought this punishment on his
head. But before the Ministry had been a week in office almost
everybody knew that it was so. The rumours were full of falsehood,
but yet they contained the truth. The duchess had done it. The
duchess was the bosom friend