im, at any rate, to speak of Lady Laura's unhappiness. Lord
Chiltern he had seen once or twice during the last month, and they
had met cordially as friends. Of course he could ask no question
from Lord Chiltern as to Violet; but he did learn that his friend
had again patched up some reconciliation with his father. "He has
quarrelled with me, you know," said Phineas.

"I am very sorry, but what could I do? As things went, I was obliged
to tell him."

"Do not suppose for a moment that I am blaming you. It is, no doubt,
much better that he should know it all."

"And it cannot make much difference to you, I should say."

"One doesn't like to quarrel with those who have been kind to one,"
said Phineas.

"But it isn't your doing. He'll come right again after a time. When
I can get my own affairs settled, you may be sure I'll do my best to
bring him round. But what's the reason you never see Laura now?"

"What's the reason that everything goes awry?" said Phineas,
bitterly.

"When I mentioned your name to Kennedy the other day, he looked as
black as thunder. But it is not odd that any one should quarrel with
him. I can't stand him. Do you know, I sometimes think that Laura
will have to give it up. Then there will be another mess in the
family!"

This was all very well as coming from Lord Chiltern; but there was no
word about Violet, and Phineas did not know how to get a word from
any one. Lady Laura could have told him everything, but he could not
go to Lady Laura. He did go to Lady Baldock's house as often as he
thought he could with propriety, and occasionally he saw Violet. But
he could do no more than see her, and the days and weeks were passing
by, and the time was coming in which he would have to go away, and be
with her no more. The end of the season, which was always to other
men,--to other working men such as our hero,--a period of pleasurable
anticipation, to him was a time of sadness, in which he felt that
he was not exactly like to, or even equal to, the men with whom he
lived in London. In the old days, in which he was allowed to go to
Loughlinter or to Saulsby, when all men and women were going to their
Loughlinters and their Saulsbys, it was very well with him; but there
was something melancholy to him in his yearly journey to Ireland. He
loved his father and mother and sisters as well as do other men; but
there was a falling off in the manner of his life which made him feel
that he had been in some s