o excited? Besides, it is by no means
strange. I understand that they have gone on trying the two old
stagers till it is useless to try them any longer; and if there is to
be a fresh man, no one would be more likely than the Duke."

"Do you think so?"

"Certainly. Why not?"

"He has frittered away his political position by such meaningless
concessions. And then he had never done anything to put himself
forward,--at any rate since he left the House of Commons. Perhaps
I haven't read things right,--but I was surprised, very much
surprised."

"And gratified?"

"Oh yes. I can tell you everything, because you will neither
misunderstand me nor tell tales of me. Yes,--I shall like him to be
Prime Minister, though I know that I shall have a bad time of it
myself."

"Why a bad time?"

"He is so hard to manage. Of course I don't mean about politics. Of
course it must be a mixed kind of thing at first, and I don't care
a straw whether it run to Radicalism or Toryism. The country goes
on its own way, either for better or for worse, whichever of them
are in. I don't think it makes any difference as to what sort of
laws are passed. But among ourselves, in our set, it makes a deal
of difference who gets the garters, and the counties, who are
made barons and then earls, and whose name stands at the head of
everything."

"That is your way of looking at politics?"

"I own it to you;--and I must teach it to him."

"You never will do that, Lady Glen."

"Never is a long word. I mean to try. For look back and tell me of
any Prime Minister who has become sick of his power. They become sick
of the want of power when it's falling away from them,--and then they
affect to disdain and put aside the thing they can no longer enjoy.
Love of power is a kind of feeling which comes to a man as he grows
older."

"Politics with the Duke have been simple patriotism," said Mrs. Finn.

"The patriotism may remain, my dear, but not the simplicity. I don't
want him to sell his country to Germany, or to turn it into an
American republic in order that he may be president. But when he gets
the reins in his hands, I want him to keep them there. If he's so
much honester than other people, of course he's the best man for
the place. We must make him believe that the very existence of the
country depends on his firmness."

"To tell you the truth, Lady Glen, I don't think you'll ever make the
Duke believe anything. What he believes, he believes eith