ither on one tack or the other. That is their use in
creation, that when we split among ourselves, as we always do, they
come in and finish our job for us. It must be unpleasant for them to
be always doing that which they always say should never be done at
all."

"Wherever the gift horse may come from, I shall not look it in the
mouth," said Mr. Monk. "There is only one man in the House whom I
hope I may not see in the lobby with me, and that is yourself."

"The question is decided now," said Phineas.

"And how is it decided?"

Phineas could not tell his friend that a question of so great
magnitude to him had been decided by the last sting which he had
received from an insect so contemptible as Mr. Bonteen, but he
expressed the feeling as well as he knew how to express it. "Oh, I
shall be with you. I know what you are going to say, and I know how
good you are. But I could not stand it. Men are beginning already to
say things which almost make me get up and kick them. If I can help
it, I will give occasion to no man to hint anything to me which
can make me be so wretched as I have been to-day. Pray do not say
anything more. My idea is that I shall resign to-morrow."

"Then I hope that we may fight the battle side by side," said Mr.
Monk, giving him his hand.

"We will fight the battle side by side," replied Phineas.

After that he pushed his way still higher up the stairs, having no
special purpose in view, not dreaming of any such success as that
of reaching his host or hostess,--merely feeling that it should be
a point of honour with him to make a tour through the rooms before
he descended the stairs. The thing, he thought, was to be done with
courage and patience, and this might, probably, be the last time in
his life that he would find himself in the house of a Prime Minister.
Just at the turn of the balustrade at the top of the stairs, he found
Mr. Gresham in the very spot on which Mr. Monk had been talking with
him. "Very glad to see you," said Mr. Gresham. "You, I find, are a
persevering man, with a genius for getting upwards."

"Like the sparks," said Phineas.

"Not quite so quickly," said Mr. Gresham.

"But with the same assurance of speedy loss of my little light."

It did not suit Mr. Gresham to understand this, so he changed the
subject. "Have you seen the news from America?"

"Yes, I have seen it, but do not believe it," said Phineas.

"Ah, you have such faith in a combination of British colo