ference. Lady
Cantrip, though her husband was Mr. Gresham's most intimate friend,
was altogether of this party, as was also the Duchess of St. Bungay,
who understood nothing at all about it, but who had once fancied
herself to be rudely treated by Mrs. Bonteen. The young Duchess was
a woman very strong in getting up a party; and the old Duchess, with
many other matrons of high rank, was made to believe that it was
incumbent on her to be a Phineas Finnite. One result of this was,
that though Phineas was excluded from the Liberal Government, all
Liberal drawing-rooms were open to him, and that he was a lion.

Additional zest was given to all this by the very indiscreet conduct
of Mr. Bonteen. He did accept the inferior office of President of
the Board of Trade, an office inferior at least to that for which
he had been designated, and agreed to fill it without a seat in the
Cabinet. But having done so he could not bring himself to bear his
disappointment quietly. He could not work and wait and make himself
agreeable to those around him, holding his vexation within his own
bosom. He was dark and sullen to his chief, and almost insolent to
the Duke of Omnium. Our old friend Plantagenet Palliser was a man who
hardly knew insolence when he met it. There was such an absence about
him of all self-consciousness, he was so little given to think of his
own personal demeanour and outward trappings,--that he never brought
himself to question the manners of others to him. Contradiction he
would take for simple argument. Strong difference of opinion even on
the part of subordinates recommended itself to him. He could put up
with apparent rudeness without seeing it, and always gave men credit
for good intentions. And with it all he had an assurance in his own
position,--a knowledge of the strength derived from his intellect,
his industry, his rank, and his wealth,--which made him altogether
fearless of others. When the little dog snarls, the big dog does
not connect the snarl with himself, simply fancying that the little
dog must be uncomfortable. Mr. Bonteen snarled a good deal, and the
new Lord Privy Seal thought that the new President of the Board of
Trade was not comfortable within himself. But at last the little
dog took the big dog by the ear, and then the big dog put out his
paw and knocked the little dog over. Mr. Bonteen was told that he
had--forgotten himself; and there arose new rumours. It was soon
reported that the Lord Pr