had himself first introduced into political
life only four years since;--but there was no earnestness or
cordiality in Barrington Erle's manner, and Phineas knew that his
first staunch friend could no longer be regarded as a pillar of
support. But there was a set of men, quite as influential,--so
Phineas thought,--as the busy politicians of the club, who were very
friendly to him. These were men, generally of high position, of
steady character,--hard workers,--who thought quite as much of what
a man did in his office as what he said in the House. Lords Cantrip,
Thrift, and Fawn were of this class,--and they were all very
courteous to Phineas. Envious men began to say of him that he cared
little now for any one of the party who had not a handle to his name,
and that he preferred to live with lords and lordlings. This was hard
upon him, as the great political ambition of his life was to call Mr.
Monk his friend; and he would sooner have acted with Mr. Monk than
with any other man in the Cabinet. But though Mr. Monk had not
deserted him, there had come to be little of late in common between
the two. His life was becoming that of a parliamentary official
rather than that of a politician;--whereas, though Mr. Monk was in
office, his public life was purely political. Mr. Monk had great
ideas of his own which he intended to hold, whether by holding them
he might remain in office or be forced out of office; and he was
indifferent as to the direction which things in this respect might
take with him. But Phineas, who had achieved his declared object in
getting into place, felt that he was almost constrained to adopt
the views of others, let them be what they might. Men spoke to him,
as though his parliamentary career were wholly at the disposal of
the Government,--as though he were like a proxy in Mr. Gresham's
pocket,--with this difference, that when directed to get up and
speak on a subject he was bound to do so. This annoyed him, and he
complained to Mr. Monk; but Mr. Monk only shrugged his shoulders and
told him that he must make his choice. He soon discovered Mr. Monk's
meaning. "If you choose to make Parliament a profession,--as you have
chosen,--you can have no right even to think of independence. If the
country finds you out when you are in Parliament, and then invites
you to office, of course the thing is different. But the latter is a
slow career, and probably would not have suited you." That was the
meaning of what Mr.