itterest feeling of all was that her love should have
been so much stronger, so much more enduring than his own. He could
not but remember how in his first agony he had blamed her because she
had declared that they should be severed. He had then told himself
that such severing would be to him impossible, and that had her
nature been as high as his, it would have been as impossible to her.
Which nature must he now regard as the higher? She had done her best
to rid herself of the load of her passion and had failed. But he had
freed himself with convenient haste. All that he had said as to the
manliness of conquering grief had been wise enough. But still he
could not quit himself of some feeling of disgrace in that he had
changed and she had not. He tried to comfort himself with reflecting
that Mary was all his own,--that in that matter he had been
victorious and happy;--but for an hour or two he thought more of
Mabel than of Mary.

When the time came in which he could employ himself he called
for Silverbridge, and they walked together across the park to
Westminster. Silverbridge was gay and full of eagerness as to the
coming ministerial statement, but Tregear could not turn his mind
from the work of the morning. "I don't seem to care very much about
it," he said at last.

"I do care very much," said Silverbridge.

"What difference will it make?"

"I breakfasted with the governor this morning, and I have not seen
him in such good spirits since--, well, for a long time." The date to
which Silverbridge would have referred, had he not checked himself,
was that of the evening on which it had been agreed between him and
his father that Mabel Grex should be promoted to the seat of highest
honour in the house of Palliser,--but that was a matter which must
henceforward be buried in silence. "He did not say as much, but
I feel perfectly sure that he and Mr. Monk have arranged a new
government."

"I don't see any matter for joy in that to Conservatives like you and
me."

"He is my father,--and as he is going to be your father-in-law I
should have thought that you might have been pleased."

"Oh, yes;--if he likes it. But I have heard so often of the crushing
cares of office, and I had thought that of all living men he had been
the most crushed by them."

All that had to be done in the House of Commons on that afternoon
was finished before five o'clock. By half-past five the House, and
all the purlieus of the House, were d