to Grosvenor Gate, where he had an
appointment with Disraeli. The ex-Minister was sitting, in a flowered
dressing-gown, by the library fire. The blinds were not drawn, for the
night was bright and starry; the moonlight streamed into the room,
mingling strangely with the soft glow of the green-shaded lamp. There
was a large bundle of documents on the table by Disraeli's side, and a
pile of Continental newspapers on the floor. One of the latter he was
reading, and, by the slight curl of his mouth and the gleam in his fine
eyes, Orange saw that he was working out, to his amusement, some train
of thought which gave full jurisdiction to his knowledge of humanity.

"Bismarck," said he, "is the first German statesman who has not regarded
newspapers as inconvenient lumber. He wishes the Press to advance his
great ideas by assuming the place of the Universities in training public
opinion, and the place of the Church in controlling it. He might as well
strive to make the horse into the lion, the mule into the unicorn, a
parrot into the soaring eagle! Any man who is written up into a place
can be written down out of it. Our friend will learn this too
late--probably about the time that we, in England, are adopting, with
enthusiasm, his present error. Ah, my dear Orange, watch the sky and you
will learn the hearts of men. Observe the changing light, the clouds
driven by the wind, the glimpses of pure blue, the sudden blackness, the
startling brilliancy, and then--the monotonous grey. They seem too hard
for me, at times. The clash between ideas and interests makes our
inheritance a grim battlefield, and there are moments of mortification
when one may feel tempted to sell it--not for a mess of pottage, but for
the _promise_ of a mess of pottage. Tempted, I said. There is always a
course left, if you have the courage to face it. It may avail you; I
cannot insure you even that. But if I were in your place, I would try."

"I could never do better, sir, than to follow your advice or your
example."

"Never betray, then, the least depression at disappointments or
reverses, but seize the few joyful occasions of life for the indulgence
of any accumulated melancholy and bitterness. By this simple rule you
will escape the charge urged against all the ambitious, who are usually
as intoxicated by success as they are cowardly in adversity. It delights
me to see you in high spirits. Tell me the news, but first give me your
opinion of this little