ty. That there would soon come causes of hot blood,--the
English Church, the county suffrage, the income tax, and further
education questions,--all men knew who knew anything. But for the
moment, for the month even, perhaps for the Session, there was to
be peace, with full latitude for the performance of routine duties.
There was so to say no opposition, and at first it seemed that one
special bench in the House of Commons would remain unoccupied. But
after a day or two,--on one of which Mr. Daubeny had been seen
sitting just below the gangway,--that gentleman returned to the place
usually held by the Prime Minister's rival, saying with a smile that
it might be for the convenience of the House that the seat should be
utilised. Mr. Gresham at this time had, with declared purpose, asked
and obtained the Speaker's leave of absence and was abroad. Who
should lead the House? That had been a great question, caused by the
fact that the Prime Minister was in the House of Lords;--and what
office should the Leader hold? Mr. Monk had consented to take the
Exchequer, but the right to sit opposite to the Treasury Box and to
consider himself for the time the principal spirit in that chamber
was at last assigned to Sir Orlando Drought. "It will never do,"
said Mr. Rattler to Mr. Roby. "I don't mean to say anything against
Drought, who has always been a very useful man to your party;--but he
lacks something of the position."

"The fact is," said Roby, "that we've trusted to two men so long that
we don't know how to suppose any one else big enough to fill their
places. Monk wouldn't have done. The House doesn't care about Monk."

"I always thought it should be Wilson, and so I told the Duke. He had
an idea that it should be one of your men."

"I think he's right there," said Roby. "There ought to be something
like a fair division. Individuals might be content, but the party
would be dissatisfied. For myself, I'd have sooner stayed out as an
independent member, but Daubeny said that he thought I was bound to
make myself useful."

"I told the Duke from the beginning," said Rattler, "that I didn't
think that I could be of any service to him. Of course, I would
support him, but I had been too thoroughly a party man for a new
movement of this kind. But he said just the same!--that he considered
I was bound to join him. I asked Gresham, and when Gresham said so
too, of course I had no help for it."

Neither of these excellent public ser