te unnecessary. His right honourable
friend entertained certain ideas about Irish tenant-right, as to
which he himself and his right honourable friend the Secretary for
Ireland could not exactly pledge themselves to be in unison with him;
but he had thought that the motion might have rested at any rate over
this session. Then Mr. Monk explained, making his first great speech
on Irish tenant-right. He found himself obliged to advocate some
immediate measure for giving security to the Irish farmer; and as he
could not do so as a member of the Cabinet, he was forced to resign
the honour of that position. He said something also as to the great
doubt which had ever weighed on his own mind as to the inexpediency
of a man at his time of life submitting himself for the first time
to the trammels of office. This called up Mr. Turnbull, who took
the opportunity of saying that he now agreed cordially with his old
friend for the first time since that old friend had listened to the
blandishments of the ministerial seducer, and that he welcomed his
old friend back to those independent benches with great satisfaction.
In this way the debate was very exciting. Nothing was said which made
it then necessary for Phineas to get upon his legs or to declare
himself; but he perceived that the time would rapidly come in which
he must do so. Mr. Gresham, though he strove to speak with gentle
words, was evidently very angry with the late President of the Board
of Trade; and, moreover, it was quite clear that a bill would be
introduced by Mr. Monk himself, which Mr. Gresham was determined
to oppose. If all this came to pass and there should be a close
division, Phineas felt that his fate would be sealed. When he again
spoke to Lord Cantrip on the subject, the Secretary of State shrugged
his shoulders and shook his head. "I can only advise you," said Lord
Cantrip, "to forget all that took place in Ireland. If you will do
so, nobody else will remember it." "As if it were possible to forget
such things," he said in the letter which he wrote to Mary that
night. "Of course I shall go now. If it were not for your sake, I
should not in the least regret it."

He had been with Madame Goesler frequently in the winter, and had
discussed with her so often the question of his official position
that she had declared that she was coming at last to understand the
mysteries of an English Cabinet. "I think you are quite right, my
friend," she said,--"quite right.