ans of his own sort, men who really preferred work to
archery, or even to hunting, and who discussed the evils of direct
taxation absolutely in the drawing-room. The Duchess was assured
that the country could not be governed by the support of such men as
these, and was very glad to get back to Gatherum,--whither also came
Phineas Finn with his wife, and the St. Bungay people, and Barrington
Erle, and Mr. Monk, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with Lord and
Lady Cantrip, and Lord and Lady Drummond,--Lord Drummond being the
only representative of the other or coalesced party. And Major
Pountney was there, having been urgent with the Duchess,--and having
fully explained to his friend Captain Gunner that he had acceded to
the wishes of his hostess only on the assurance of her Grace that
the house would not be again troubled by the presence of Ferdinand
Lopez. Such assurances were common between the two friends, but were
innocent, as, of course, neither believed the other. And Lady Rosina
was again there,--with many others. The melancholy poverty of Lady
Rosina had captivated the Duke. "She shall come and live here, if you
like," the Duchess had said in answer to a request from her husband
on his new friend's behalf,--"I've no doubt she will be willing." The
place was not crowded as it had been before; but still about thirty
guests sat down to dinner daily, and Locock, Millepois, and Mrs.
Pritchard were all kept hard at work. Nor was our Duchess idle.
She was always making up the party,--meaning the coalition,--doing
something to strengthen the buttresses, writing little letters
to little people, who, little as they were, might become big by
amalgamation. "One has always to be binding one's fagot," she said to
Mrs. Finn, having read her Aesop not altogether in vain. "Where should
we have been without you?" she had whispered to Sir Orlando Drought
when that gentleman was leaving Gatherum at the termination of his
second visit. She had particularly disliked Sir Orlando, and was
aware that her husband had on this occasion been hardly as gracious
as he should have been, in true policy, to so powerful a colleague.
Her husband had been peculiarly shy of Sir Orlando since the day
on which they had walked together in the park,--and, consequently,
the Duchess had whispered to him. "Don't bind your fagot too
conspicuously," Mrs. Finn had said to her. Then the Duchess had
fallen to a seat almost exhausted by labour, mingled with regrets