lary,
saying that his place entailed upon him expenses higher than his
stipend would defray. I begin to think that my experience will be the
same."

"Does that fret you?"

"No, Cora;--it certainly does not fret me, or I should not allow it.
But I think there should be a limit. No man is ever rich enough to
squander."

Though they were to squander her fortune,--the money which she
had brought,--for the next ten years at a much greater rate than
she contemplated, they might do so without touching the Palliser
property. Of that she was quite sure. And the squandering was to be
all for his glory,--so that he might retain his position as a popular
Prime Minister. For an instant it occurred to her that she would tell
him all this. But she checked herself, and the idea of what she had
been about to say brought the blood into her face. Never yet had
she in talking to him alluded to her own wealth. "Of course we are
spending money," she said. "If you give me a hint to hold my hand, I
will hold it."

He had looked at her, and read it all in her face. "God knows," he
said, "you've a right to do it if it pleases you."

"For your sake!" Then he stooped down and kissed her twice, and
left her to arrange her parties as she pleased. After that she
congratulated herself that she had not made the direct proposition,
knowing that she might now do pretty much what she pleased.

Then there were solemn cabinets held, at which she presided, and
Mrs. Finn and Locock assisted. At other cabinets it is supposed that,
let a leader be ever so autocratic by disposition and superior by
intelligence, still he must not unfrequently yield to the opinion of
his colleagues. But in this cabinet the Duchess always had her own
way, though she was very persistent in asking for counsel. Locock was
frightened about the money. Hitherto money had come without a word,
out of the common, spoken to the Duke. The Duke had always signed
certain cheques, but they had been normal cheques; and the money in
its natural course had flown in to meet them;--but now he must be
asked to sign abnormal cheques. That, indeed, had already been done;
but still the money had been there. A large balance, such as had
always stood to his credit, would stand a bigger racket than had yet
been made. But Locock was quite sure that the balance ought not to
be much further reduced,--and that steps must be taken. Something
must be sold! The idea of selling anything was dreadful to the