ues,' and banished
every one else; and as for Lady Kilgoff, who, besides being a very
pretty woman and well-mannered, has an exceedingly fascinating way with
strangers, 'my Lord' is so jealous, so absurdly, madly jealous, that
she dare not ask after the success of a shooting-party without his
suspecting an allegorical allusion to Cupid and his shafts."

"Well, then, let us resolve to receive 'en Mathews;' and now, when shall
we name the day?"

"Let us wait till the result of the division be known in Parliament. A
change of ministers is hinted at, and if it were to occur, you'll have
every one hastening away to his county for the new election; by Saturday
we shall learn everything, and that will be time enough."

"In any case, I had better set off and see what can be done to put the
house in a fit state to receive them."

"Leave all that to me. I 'll take Popham, the architect, down with me,
and you need never trouble your head about the matter. It's quite clear
people who accept an invitation like the present must put up with a
hundred small penalties on convenience. The liberty of such a house
always repays whatever is wanting on the score of ceremonial and order,
and your fine guests, who would perhaps give themselves airs towards the
Kennyfecks and their set if meeting them elsewhere, will here affect, at
least, a tone of good-natured equality, just as in revolutionary times
people shake hands with their hairdresser."

"But how to amuse or even occupy them! that is a great puzzle to me."

"Leave them perfectly to their own devices. In fun there should be
always free-trade. Protection ruins it. But all this is Egyptian to you,
so go to bed and sleep soundly, and leave the cares of state to me.

"On me the glory or disgrace,
The pride of triumph or the shame of fall."

"Then I 'll think no more of the matter," said Cashel; "and so good-by."

"Now for a twenty-four hours' sleep," said Linton, "and then once more
to roll the stone of life, which, by the way, gives the lie to the old
adage, for unquestionably it does 'gather moss' as we grow older."

CHAPTER XVII. SCANNING THE POLITICAL HORIZON.

Confound their politics!

--National Anthem.

Linton was very far from indulging that dreamy inactivity of which he
spoke. Plans and schemes of various kinds occupied his thoughts too
intently to admit of slumber. Indeed, his theory was, that, if a man
could not dream of some happy mode