ordance with the usual practice of
his life, and the tenants, dependants, and followers of the Omnium
interest were always delighted to see this manifestation of a healthy
English domestic family feeling between the duke and his nephew.
But the amount of intercourse on such occasions between them was
generally trifling. The duke would smile as he put out his right hand
to his nephew, and say,--

"Well, Plantagenet,--very busy, I suppose?"

The duke was the only living being who called him Plantagenet to his
face, though there were some scores of men who talked of Planty Pal
behind his back. The duke had been the only living being so to call
him. Let us hope that it still was so, and that there had arisen
no feminine exception, dangerous in its nature and improper in its
circumstances.

"Well, Plantagenet," said the duke, on the present occasion, "very
busy, I suppose?"

"Yes, indeed, duke," said Mr Palliser. "When a man gets the harness
on him he does not easily get quit of it."

The duke remembered that his nephew had made almost the same remark
at his last Christmas visit.

"By-the-by," said the duke, "I want to say a word or two to you
before you go."

Such a proposition on the duke's part was a great departure from
his usual practice, but the nephew of course undertook to obey his
uncle's behests.

"I'll see you before dinner to-morrow," said Plantagenet.

"Ah, do," said the duke. "I'll not keep you five minutes." And at six
o'clock on the following afternoon the two were closeted together in
the duke's private room.

"I don't suppose there is much in it," began the duke, "but people
are talking about you and Lady Dumbello."

"Upon my word, people are very kind." And Mr Palliser bethought
himself of the fact,--for it certainly was a fact,--that people for
a great many years had talked about his uncle and Lady Dumbello's
mother-in-law.

"Yes; kind enough; are they not? You've just come from Hartlebury,
I believe." Hartlebury was the Marquis of Hartletop's seat in
Shropshire.

"Yes, I have. And I'm going there again in February."

"Ah, I'm sorry for that. Not that I mean, of course, to interfere
with your arrangements. You will acknowledge that I have not often
done so, in any matter whatever."

"No; you have not," said the nephew, comforting himself with an
inward assurance that no such interference on his uncle's part could
have been possible.

"But in this instance it would suit me, and I re