er. "You will have to learn how weak I am. When I am really anxious
I become like a child."

"I do not think you are ever weak," she said, caressing him. "If
there were a thing to be done you would do it at once. But I'll open
it if you like." Then he tore off the envelope with an air of comic
importance and stood for a few minutes while he read it.

"What I first perceive is that there has been a row about it," he
said.

"A row about it! What sort of a row?"

"My dear friend the Duchess has not quite hit it off with my less
dear friend the Duke."

"She does not say so?"

"Oh dear, no! My friend the Duchess is much too discreet for
that;--but I can see that it has been so."

"Are you to be the new member? If that is arranged I don't care a bit
about the Duke and Duchess."

"These things do not settle themselves quite so easily as that. I am
not to have the seat at any rate without fighting for it. There's the
letter."

The Duchess's letter to her new adherent shall be given, but it must
first be understood that many different ideas had passed through the
writer's mind between the writing of the letter and the order given
by the Prime Minister to his wife concerning the borough. She of
course became aware at once that Mr. Lopez must be informed that she
could not do for him what she had suggested that she would do. But
there was no necessity of writing at the instant. Mr. Grey had not
yet vacated the seat, and Mr. Lopez was away on his travels. The
month of January was passed in comparative quiet at the Castle, and
during that time it became known at Silverbridge that the election
would be open. The Duke would not even make a suggestion, and would
neither express, nor feel, resentment should a member be returned
altogether hostile to his Ministry. By degrees the Duchess accustomed
herself to this condition of affairs, and as the consternation caused
by her husband's very imperious conduct wore off, she began to ask
herself whether even yet she need quite give up the game. She could
not make a Member of Parliament altogether out of her own hand,
as she had once fondly hoped she might do; but still she might do
something. She would in nothing disobey her husband, but if Mr.
Lopez were to stand for Silverbridge, it could not but be known in
the borough that Mr. Lopez was her friend. Therefore she wrote the
following letter:--

Gatherum, -- January, 18--.

MY DEAR MR. LOPEZ,

I remember that you