nd have spent a treasure, and have worked myself off my legs.
I don't know that I care much for anything except for keeping my
place in the House. The House is everything to me,--meat and drink;
employment and recreation; and I can tell you I'm not going to lose
my seat if I can help it. You came in for the second chance, Sir
Thomas; and a very good second chance it was if you'd just have
allowed others who knew what they were about to manage matters for
you. That chance is over now, and according to all rules that ever I
heard of in such matters, you ought to surrender. Isn't that so, Mr.
Trigger?"

"Certainly, Mr. Griffenbottom, according to my ideas," said Mr.
Trigger.

"That's about it," said Mr. Spicer.

Sir Thomas was still standing. Indeed they were all standing now.
"Mr. Griffenbottom," he said, "I have nothing further that I can
say at the present moment. To the offer made to me by Mr. Trigger I
at present positively decline to accede. I look upon that offer as
unfriendly, and can therefore only wish you a good morning."

"Unfriendly," said Mr. Griffenbottom with a sneer.

"Good-bye, Sir Thomas," said Mr. Pile, putting out his hand. Sir
Thomas shook hands with Mr. Pile cordially. "It's my opinion that
he's right," said Mr. Pile. "I don't like his notions, but I do like
his pluck. Good-bye, Sir Thomas." Then Mr. Pile led the way out of
the room, and the others followed him.

"Oh!" said Stemm, as soon as he had shut the door behind their backs.
"That's a deputation from Percycross, is it, Sir Thomas? You were
saying as how you didn't quite approve of the Percycrossians." To
this, however, Sir Thomas vouchsafed no reply.

CHAPTER XL.

WHAT SIR THOMAS THOUGHT ABOUT IT.

Sir Thomas Underwood had been engaged upon a very great piece of work
ever since he had been called to the Bar in the twenty-fifth year of
his life. He had then devoted himself to the writing of a life of
Lord Verulam, and had been at it ever since. But as yet he had not
written a word. In early life, that is, up to his fortieth year,
he had talked freely enough about his opus magnum to those of his
compeers with whom he had been intimate; but of late Bacon's name had
never been on his lips. Patience, at home, was aware of the name and
nature of her father's occupation, but Clarissa had not yet learned
to know that he who had been the great philosopher and little Lord
Chancellor was not to be lightly mentioned. To Stemm the matte