t he knew,--he thought that he knew that he would be true to
Mary Flood Jones.

CHAPTER LXX

The Prime Minister's House

The rooms and passages and staircases at Mrs. Gresham's house were
very crowded when Phineas arrived there. Men of all shades of
politics were there, and the wives and daughters of such men; and
there was a streak of royalty in one of the saloons, and a whole
rainbow of foreign ministers with their stars, and two blue ribbons
were to be seen together on the first landing-place, with a stout
lady between them carrying diamonds enough to load a pannier.
Everybody was there. Phineas found that even Lord Chiltern was come,
as he stumbled across his friend on the first foot-ground that he
gained in his ascent towards the rooms. "Halloa,--you here?" said
Phineas. "Yes, by George!" said the other, "but I am going to escape
as soon as possible. I've been trying to make my way up for the last
hour, but could never get round that huge promontory there. Laura was
more persevering." "Is Kennedy here?" Phineas whispered. "I do not
know," said Chiltern, "but she was determined to run the chance."

A little higher up,--for Phineas was blessed with more patience than
Lord Chiltern possessed,--he came upon Mr. Monk. "So you are still
admitted privately," said Phineas.

"Oh dear yes,--and we have just been having a most friendly
conversation about you. What a man he is! He knows everything. He
is so accurate; so just in the abstract,--and in the abstract so
generous!"

"He has been very generous to me in detail as well as in abstract,"
said Phineas.

"Ah, yes; I am not thinking of individuals exactly. His want of
generosity is to large masses,--to a party, to classes, to a people;
whereas his generosity is for mankind at large. He assumes the god,
affects to nod, and seems to shake the spheres. But I have nothing
against him. He has asked me here to-night, and has talked to me most
familiarly about Ireland."

"What do you think of your chance of a second reading?" asked
Phineas.

"What do you think of it?--you hear more of those things than I do."

"Everybody says it will be a close division."

"I never expected it," said Mr. Monk.

"Nor I, till I heard what Daubeny said at the first reading. They
will all vote for the bill en masse,--hating it in their hearts all
the time."

"Let us hope they are not so bad as that."

"It is the way with them always. They do all our work for
us,--sailing e