e House, but that in the event of there being a
division you hope to be allowed to vote as on an open question. It
may be that I shall get Gresham's assent, and if so we shall be all
right. If I do not, and if they choose to make it a point with you,
you must resign also."

"Of course I shall," said Phineas.

"But I do not think they will. You have been too useful, and they
will wish to avoid the weakness which comes to a ministry from
changing its team. Good-bye, my dear fellow; and remember this,--my
last word of advice to you is to stick by the ship. I am quite sure
it is a career which will suit you. I did not begin it soon enough."

Phineas was rather melancholy as he returned alone to Killaloe. It
was all very well to bid him stick to the ship, and he knew as well
as any one could tell him how material the ship was to him; but there
are circumstances in which a man cannot stick to his ship,--cannot
stick, at least, to this special Government ship. He knew that
whither Mr. Monk went, in this session, he must follow. He had
considerable hope that when Mr. Monk explained his purpose to the
Prime Minister, the Prime Minister would feel himself obliged to give
way. In that case Phineas would not only be able to keep his office,
but would have such an opportunity of making a speech in Parliament
as circumstances had never yet given to him. When he was again at
home he said nothing to his father or to the Killaloeians as to the
danger of his position. Of what use would it be to make his mother
and sisters miserable, or to incur the useless counsels of the
doctor? They seemed to think his speech at Dublin very fine, and were
never tired of talking of what Mr. Monk and Phineas were going to do;
but the idea had not come home to them that if Mr. Monk or Phineas
chose to do anything on their own account, they must give up the
places which they held under the Crown.

It was September when Phineas found himself back at Killaloe, and he
was due to be at his office in London in November. The excitement
of Mr. Monk's company was now over, and he had nothing to do but to
receive pouches full of official papers from the Colonial Office, and
study all the statistics which came within his reach in reference to
the proposed new law for tenant-right. In the meantime Mary was still
living with her mother at Killaloe, and still kept herself somewhat
aloof from the man she loved. How could it be possible for him not to
give way in su