aid
the money, when asked for it, because he felt that the man had been
injured by incorrect representations made to him. "I need hardly
pause to stigmatise the meanness of that application," said Phineas,
"but I may perhaps conclude by saying that whether the last act
done by the Duke in this matter was or was not indiscreet, I shall
probably have the House with me when I say that it savours much more
strongly of nobility than of indiscretion."

When Phineas Finn sat down no one arose to say another word on the
subject. It was afterwards felt that it would only have been graceful
had Sir Orlando risen and expressed his opinion that the House had
heard the statement just made with perfect satisfaction. But he did
not do so, and after a short pause the ordinary business of the day
was recommenced. Then there was a speedy descent from the galleries,
and the ladies trooped out of their cage, and the grey-headed old
peers went back to their own chamber, and the members themselves
quickly jostled out through the doors, and Mr. Monk was left to
explain his proposed alteration in the dog tax to a thin House of
seventy or eighty members.

The thing was then over, and people were astonished that so great
a thing should be over with so little fuss. It really seemed that
after Phineas Finn's speech there was nothing more to be said on the
matter. Everybody of course knew that the Duchess had been the chief
of the agents to whom he had alluded, but they had known as much as
that before. It was, however, felt by everybody that the matter had
been brought to an end. The game, such as it was, had been played
out. Perhaps the only person who heard Mr. Finn's speech throughout,
and still hoped that the spark could be again fanned into a flame,
was Quintus Slide. He went out and wrote another article about the
Duchess. If a man was so unable to rule his affairs at home, he was
certainly unfit to be Prime Minister. But even Quintus Slide, as
he wrote his article, felt that he was hoping against hope. The
charge might be referred to hereafter as one that had never been
satisfactorily cleared up. That game is always open to the opponents
of a minister. After the lapse of a few months an old accusation can
be serviceably used, whether at the time it was proved or disproved.
Mr. Slide published his article, but he felt that for the present
the Silverbridge election papers had better be put by among the
properties of the "People's Banner,"