,--would make him
a peer; and then, no doubt, he would look at the matter in a wholly
different light. But he worked at his great measure with a diligence
which at any rate deserved success; and he now had with him a
whole bevy of secretaries, private secretaries, chief clerks, and
accountants, all of whom Lady Glencora captivated by her flattering
ways, and laughed at behind their backs. Mr. Bonteen was there with
his wife, repeatedly declaring to all his friends that England would
achieve the glories of decimal coinage by his blood and over his
grave,--and Barrington Erle, who took things much more easily, and
Lord Chiltern, with his wife, who would occasionally ask her if she
could explain to him the value of a quint, and many others whom it
may not be necessary to name. Lord Fawn was not there. Lord Fawn,
whose health had temporarily given way beneath the pressing labours
of the India Board, was visiting his estates in Tipperary.

"She is married to-day, duke, down in Scotland,"--said Lady Glencora,
sitting close to the duke's ear, for the duke was a little deaf. They
were in the duke's small morning sitting-room, and no one else was
present excepting Madame Max Goesler.

"Married to-morrow,--down in Scotland. Dear, dear! what is he?" The
profession to which Mr. Emilius belonged had been mentioned to the
duke more than once before.

"He's some sort of a clergyman, duke. You went and heard him preach,
Madame Max. You can tell us what he's like."

"Oh, yes; he's a clergyman of our church," said Madame Goesler.

"A clergyman of our church;--dear, dear. And married in Scotland!
That makes it stranger. I wonder what made a clergyman marry her?"

"Money, duke," said Lady Glencora, speaking very loud.

"Oh, ah, yes; money. So he'd got money; had he?"

"Not a penny, duke; but she had."

"Oh, ah, yes. I forgot. She was very well left; wasn't she? And so
she has married a clergyman without a penny. Dear, dear! Did not you
say she was very beautiful?"

"Lovely!"

"Let me see,--you went and saw her, didn't you?"

"I went to her twice,--and got quite scolded about it. Plantagenet
said that if I wanted horrors I'd better go to Madame Tussaud. Didn't
he, Madame Max?" Madame Max smiled and nodded her head.

"And what's the clergyman like?" asked the duke.

"Now, my dear, you must take up the running," said Lady Glencora,
dropping her voice. "I ran after the lady, but it was you who ran
after the gentleman." Then s