"in having four members of Parliament
who all of them were or had been in office. I never will have two men
in office together again." This she said to Mrs. Bonteen. "My dear
Madame Max," said Mrs. Bonteen, "your resolution ought to be that you
will never again have two claimants for the same young lady."

In the drawing-room up-stairs Madame Goesler managed to be alone for
three minutes with Phineas Finn. "And it is as you say, my friend?"
she asked. Her voice was plaintive and soft, and there was a look of
real sympathy in her eyes. Phineas almost felt that if they two had
been quite alone he could have told her everything, and have wept at
her feet.

"Yes," he said, "it is so."

"I never doubted it when you had declared it. May I venture to say
that I wish it had been otherwise?"

"It is too late now, Madame Goesler. A man of course is a fool to
show that he has any feelings in such a matter. The fact is, I heard
it just before I came here, and had made up my mind to send you an
excuse. I wish I had now."

"Do not say that, Mr. Finn."

"I have made such an ass of myself."

"In my estimation you have done yourself honour. But if I may venture
to give you counsel, do not speak of this affair again as though you
had been personally concerned in it. In the world now-a-days the only
thing disgraceful is to admit a failure."

"And I have failed."

"But you need not admit it, Mr. Finn. I know I ought not to say as
much to you."

"I, rather, am deeply indebted to you. I will go now, Madame Goesler,
as I do not wish to leave the house with Lord Fawn."

"But you will come and see me soon." Then Phineas promised that he
would come soon; and felt as he made the promise that he would have
an opportunity of talking over his love with his new friend at any
rate without fresh shame as to his failure.

Laurence Fitzgibbon went away with Phineas, and Mr. Bonteen, having
sent his wife away by herself, walked off towards the clubs with Lord
Fawn. He was very anxious to have a few words with Lord Fawn. Lord
Fawn had evidently been annoyed by Phineas, and Mr. Bonteen did not
at all love the young Under-Secretary. "That fellow has become the
most consummate puppy I ever met," said he, as he linked himself on
to the lord, "Monk, and one or two others among them, have contrived
to spoil him altogether."

"I don't believe a word of what he said about Lord Chiltern," said
Lord Fawn.

"About his marriage with Miss Effingham?