not. He was only too glad to think you would come. But
he took the request as being quite the proper thing. It will kill me
if this is to be carried out. After all that I have done, I could
show myself nowhere. And it will be so injurious to him! Could not
you tell him, Duke? No one else in the world can tell him but you.
Nothing unfair has been attempted. No job has been done. I have
endeavoured to make his house pleasant to people, in order that they
might look upon him with grace and favour. Is that wrong? Is that
unbecoming a wife?"

The old Duke patted her on the head as though she were a little girl,
and was more comforting to her than her other counsellors. He would
say nothing to her husband now;--but they must both be up in London
at the meeting of Parliament, and then he would tell his friend that,
in his opinion, no sudden change should be made. "This husband of
yours is a very peculiar man," he said, smiling. "His honesty is not
like the honesty of other men. It is more downright;--more absolutely
honest; less capable of bearing even the shadow which the stain from
another's dishonesty might throw upon it. Give him credit for all
that, and remember that you cannot find everything combined in the
same person. He is very practical in some things, but the question
is, whether he is not too scrupulous to be practical in all things."
At the close of the interview the Duchess kissed him and promised to
be guided by him. The occurrences of the last few weeks had softened
the Duchess much.

CHAPTER XXIX

The Two Candidates for Silverbridge

On his arrival in London Ferdinand Lopez found a letter waiting for
him from the Duchess. This came into his hand immediately on his
reaching the rooms in Belgrave Mansions, and was of course the first
object of his care. "That contains my fate," he said to his wife,
putting his hand down upon the letter. He had talked to her much of
the chance that had come in his way, and had shown himself to be very
ambitious of the honour offered to him. She of course had sympathised
with him, and was willing to think all good things both of the
Duchess and of the Duke, if they would between them put her husband
into Parliament. He paused a moment, still holding the letter under
his hand. "You would hardly think that I should be such a coward that
I don't like to open it," he said.

"You've got to do it."

"Unless I make you do it for me," he said, holding out the letter to
h