re had been a
degree of estrangement between him and his patron. St. Barbe was very
jealous; he was indeed jealous of everybody and everything, and of late
there was a certain Doctor Comeley, an Oxford don of the new school, who
had been introduced to Lord Montfort, and was initiating him in all
the mysteries of Neology. This celebrated divine, who, in a sweet silky
voice, quoted Socrates instead of St. Paul, and was opposed to all
symbols and formulas as essentially unphilosophical, had become the hero
of "the little dinners" at Montfort House, where St. Barbe had been so
long wont to shine, and who in consequence himself had become every day
more severely orthodox.

"Perhaps we may meet to-day," said Endymion one morning to St. Barbe in
Pall Mall as they were separating. "There is a little dinner at Montfort
House."

"Confound your little dinners!" exclaimed the indignant St. Barbe; "I
hope never to go to another little dinner, and especially at Montfort
House. I do not want to be asked to dinner to tumble and play tricks to
amuse my host. I want to be amused myself. One cannot be silent at these
little dinners, and the consequence is, you say all the good things
which are in your next number, and when it comes out, people say they
have heard them before. No, sir, if Lord Montfort, or any other lord,
wishes me to dine with him, let him ask me to a banquet of his own
order, and where I may hold my tongue like the rest of his aristocratic
guests."

Mr. Trenchard had come down and brought the news that the ministry had
resigned, and that the Queen had sent for the leader of the opposition,
who was in Scotland.

"I suppose we shall have to go to town," said Lady Roehampton to her
brother, in a room, busy and full. "It is so difficult to be alone
here," she continued in a whisper; "let us get into the gardens." And
they escaped. And then, when they were out of hearing and of sight of
any one, she said, "This is a most critical time of your life, Endymion;
it makes me very anxious. I look upon it as certain that you will be in
office, and in all probability under my lord. He has said nothing to me
about it, but I feel quite assured it will happen. It will be a great
event. Poor papa began by being an under-secretary of state!" she
continued in a moody tone, half speaking to herself, "and all seemed so
fair then, but he had no root. What I want, Endymion, is that you should
have a root. There is too much chance and favo