stealing when
picking and stealing plainly lead to prison diet and prison garments.
But when silks and satins come of it, and with the silks and satins
general respect, the net result of honesty does not seem to be
so secure. Whence will come the reward, and when? On whom the
punishment, and where? A man will not, surely, be damned for
belonging to a Coalition Ministry! Boffin was a little puzzled as he
thought on all this, but in the meantime was very proud of his own
consistency.

"I think it is so lovely!" said Mrs. Boffin. "You look down through
an Elysium of rhododendrons into a Paradise of mirrors. I don't think
there was ever anything like it in London before."

"I don't know that we ever had anybody at the same time rich enough
to do this kind of thing as it is done now," said Boffin, "and
powerful enough to get such people together. If the country can be
ruled by flowers and looking-glasses, of course it is very well."

"Flowers and looking-glasses won't prevent the country being ruled
well," said Lopez.

"I'm not so sure of that," continued Boffin. "We all know what bread
and the games came to in Rome."

"What did they come to?" asked Mrs. Boffin.

"To a man burning Rome, my dear, for his amusement, dressed in a
satin petticoat and a wreath of roses."

"I don't think the Duke will dress himself like that," said Mrs.
Boffin.

"And I don't think," said Lopez, "that the graceful expenditure of
wealth in a rich man's house has any tendency to demoralise the
people."

"The attempt here," said Boffin severely, "is to demoralise the
rulers of the people. I am glad to have come once to see how the
thing is done; but as an independent member of the House of Commons I
should not wish to be known to frequent the saloon of the Duchess."
Then Mr. Boffin took away Mrs. Boffin, much to that lady's regret.

"This is fairy land," said Lopez to the Duchess, as he left the room.

"Come and be a fairy then," she answered, very graciously. "We are
always on the wing about this hour on Wednesday night." The words
contained a general invitation for the season, and were esteemed by
Lopez as an indication of great favour. It must be acknowledged of
the Duchess that she was prone to make favourites, perhaps without
adequate cause; though it must be conceded to her that she rarely
altogether threw off from her any one whom she had once taken to her
good graces. It must also be confessed that when she had allowed
herself