shall go pretty much with Government, and in advance of them
upon some social questions which I have been getting up during the
vacation;--don't grin, you old cynic, I have been getting up the
Blue Books, and intend to come out rather strong on the Sanitary and
Colonisation questions."

"We reserve to ourselves the liberty of voting against Government,
though we are generally friendly. We are, however, friends of the people
avant tout. We give lectures at the Clavering Institute, and shake bands
with the intelligent mechanics. We think the franchise ought to be very
considerably enlarged; at the same time we are free to accept office
some day, when the House has listened to a few crack speeches from us,
and the Administration perceives our merit."

"I am not Moses," said Pen, with, as usual, somewhat of melancholy in
his voice. "I have no laws from Heaven to bring down to the people from
the mountain. I don't belong to the mountain at all, or set up to be a
leader and reformer of mankind. My faith is not strong enough for that;
nor my vanity, nor my hypocrisy, great enough. I will tell no lies,
George, that I promise you; and do no more than coincide in those which
are necessary and pass current, and can't be got in without recalling
the whole circulation. Give a man at least the advantage of his
sceptical turn. If I find a good thing to say in the House, I will say
it; a good measure, I will support it; a fair place, I will take it, and
be glad of my luck. But I would no more flatter a great man than a mob;
and now you know as much about my politics as I do. What call have I to
be a Whig? Whiggism is not a divine institution. Why not vote with the
Liberal Conservatives? They have done for the nation what the Whigs
would never have done without them. Who converted both?--the Radicals
and the country outside. I think the Morning Post is often right, and
Punch is often wrong. I don't profess a call, but take advantage of a
chance. Parlons d'autre chose."

"The next thing at your heart, after ambition is love, I suppose?"
Warrington said. "How have our young loves prospered? Are we going to
change our condition, and give up our chambers? Are you going to divorce
me, Arthur, and take unto yourself a wife?"

"I suppose so. She is very good-natured and lively. She sings, and
she don't mind smoking. She'll have a fair fortune--I don't know how
much--but my uncle augurs everything from the Begum's generosity, and
says that