s Finn was as follows:--

House of Lords, 16th May, 186--.

MY DEAR MR. FINN,

You are no doubt aware that Lord Bosanquet's death has
taken Mr. Mottram into the Upper House, and that as
he was Under-Secretary for the Colonies, and as the
Under-Secretary must be in the Lower House, the vacancy
must be filled up.

The heart of Phineas Finn at this moment was almost in his mouth. Not
only to be selected for political employment, but to be selected at
once for an office so singularly desirable! Under-Secretaries, he
fancied, were paid two thousand a year. What would Mr. Low say now?
But his great triumph soon received a check. "Mr. Mildmay has spoken
to me on the subject," continued the letter, "and informs me that
he has offered the place at the colonies to his old supporter, Mr.
Laurence Fitzgibbon." Laurence Fitzgibbon!

I am inclined to think that he could not have done better,
as Mr. Fitzgibbon has shown great zeal for his party. This
will vacate the Irish seat at the Treasury Board, and I am
commissioned by Mr. Mildmay to offer it to you. Perhaps
you will do me the pleasure of calling on me to-morrow
between the hours of eleven and twelve.

Yours very sincerely,

BRENTFORD.

Phineas was himself surprised to find that his first feeling on
reading this letter was one of dissatisfaction. Here were his golden
hopes about to be realised,--hopes as to the realisation of which
he had been quite despondent twelve months ago,--and yet he was
uncomfortable because he was to be postponed to Laurence Fitzgibbon.
Had the new Under-Secretary been a man whom he had not known, whom he
had not learned to look down upon as inferior to himself, he would
not have minded it,--would have been full of joy at the promotion
proposed for himself. But Laurence Fitzgibbon was such a poor
creature, that the idea of filling a place from which Laurence had
risen was distasteful to him. "It seems to be all a matter of favour
and convenience," he said to himself, "without any reference to the
service." His triumph would have been so complete had Mr. Mildmay
allowed him to go into the higher place at one leap. Other men who
had made themselves useful had done so. In the first hour after
receiving Lord Brentford's letter, the idea of becoming a Lord of the
Treasury was almost displeasing to him. He had an idea that junior
lordships of the Treasury were generally bestowed on young members