"Well," said Levy, with great kindness of manner, "I see I pain you;
and though I am what my very pleasant guests would call a parvenu,
I comprehend your natural feelings as a gentleman of ancient birth.
Parvenu! Ah, is it not strange, Leslie, that no wealth, no fashion,
no fame can wipe out that blot? They call me a parvenu, and borrow my
money. They call our friend the wit a parvenu, and submit to all his
insolence--if they condescend to regard his birth at all--provided they
can but get him to dinner. They call the best debater in the parliament
of England a parvenu, and will entreat him, some day or other, to be
prime minister, and ask him for stars and garters. A droll world, and no
wonder the parvenus want to upset it."

Randal had hitherto supposed that this notorious tufthunter, this dandy
capitalist, this money-lender, whose whole fortune had been wrung from
the wants and follies of an aristocracy, was naturally a firm supporter
of things as they are--how could things be better for men like Baron
Levy? But the usurer's burst of democratic spleen did not surprise his
precocious and acute faculty of observation. He had before remarked,
that it is the persons who fawn most upon an aristocracy, and profit the
most by the fawning, who are ever at heart its bitterest disparagers.
Why is this? Because one full half of democratic opinion is made up of
envy; and we can only envy what is brought before our eyes, and
what, while very near to us, is still unattainable. No man envies an
archangel.

"But," said Levy, throwing himself back in his chair, "a new order of
things is commencing; we shall see. Leslie, it is lucky for you that
you did not enter parliament under the government; it would be your
political ruin for life."

"You think, then, that the ministry really cannot last?"

"Of course I do; and what is more, I think that a ministry of the same
principles cannot be restored. You are a young man of talent and spirit;
your birth is nothing compared to the rank of the reigning party; it
would tell, to a certain degree, in a democratic one. I say, you should
be more civil to Avenel; he could return you to parliament at the next
election."

"The next election! In six years! We have just had a general election."

"There will be another before this year, or half of it, or perhaps a
quarter of it, is out."

"What makes you think so?"

"Leslie, let there be confidence between us; we can help each other.
Shall