like my
father."

"I don't see why not."

"There never was anybody like him. I am always amusing myself, but he
never cared for amusement."

"You are very young."

"As far as I can learn he was just as he is now at my age. My mother
has told me that long before she married him he used to spend all his
time in the House. I wonder whether you would mind reading the letter
he wrote me when he heard of my election."

Then he took the epistle out of his pocket and handed it to Lady
Mabel.

"He means all that he says."

"He always does that."

"And he really hopes that you will put your shoulder to the
wheel;--even though you must do so in opposition to him."

"That makes no difference. I think my father is a very fine fellow."

"Shall you do all that he tells you?"

"Well;--I suppose not;--except that he advises me to hold my tongue.
I think that I shall do that. I mean to go down there, you know, and
I daresay I shall be much the same as others."

"Has he talked to you much about it?"

"No;--he never talks much. Every now and then he will give me a
downright lecture, or he will write me a letter like that; but he
never talks to any of us."

"How very odd."

"Yes; he is odd. He seems to be fretful when we are with him. A good
many things make him unhappy."

"Your poor mother's death."

"That first;--and then there are other things. I suppose he didn't
like the way I came to an end at Oxford."

"You were a boy then."

"Of course I was very sorry for it,--though I hated Oxford. It was
neither one thing nor another. You were your own master and yet you
were not."

"Now you must be your own master."

"I suppose so."

"You must marry, and become a lord of the Treasury. When I was a
child I acted as a child. You know all about that."

"Oh yes. And now I must throw off childish things. You mean that I
mustn't paint any man's house? Eh, Lady Mab."

"That and the rest of it. You are a legislator now."

"So is Popplecourt, who took his seat in the House of Lords two or
three months ago. He's the biggest young fool I know out. He couldn't
even paint a house."

"He is not an elected legislator. It makes all the difference. I
quite agree with what the Duke says. Lord Popplecourt can't help
himself. Whether he's an idle young scamp or not, he must be a
legislator. But when a man goes in for it himself, as you have done,
he should make up his mind to be useful."

"I shall vote with my party of course