plained with perfect
truth. There has been no impropriety."

"I do not know."

"The money was paid simply from an over-nice sense of honour."

"It cannot be explained. I cannot explain it even to you, and how
then can I do it to all the gaping fools of the country who are ready
to trample upon a man simply because he is in some way conspicuous
among them?"

After that the old Duke again spoke to Mr. Warburton, but Mr.
Warburton was very loyal to his chief. "Could one do anything by
speaking to the Duchess?" said the old Duke.

"I think not."

"I suppose it was her Grace who did it all."

"I cannot say. My own impression is that he had better wait till the
Houses meet, and then, if any question is asked, let it be answered.
He himself would do it in the House of Lords, or Mr. Finn or
Barrington Erle, in our House. It would surely be enough to explain
that his Grace had been made to believe that the man had received
encouragement at Silverbridge from his own agents, which he himself
had not intended should be given, and that therefore he had thought
it right to pay the money. After such an explanation what more could
any one say?"

"You might do it yourself."

"I never speak."

"But in such a case as that you might do so; and then there would be
no necessity for him to talk to another person on the matter."

So the affair was left for the present, though the allusions to it
in the "People's Banner" were still continued. Nor did any other of
the Prime Minister's colleagues dare to speak to him on the subject.
Barrington Erle and Phineas Finn talked of it among themselves, but
they did not mention it even to the Duchess. She would have gone to
her husband at once; and they were too careful of him to risk such a
proceeding. It certainly was the case that among them they coddled
the Prime Minister.

CHAPTER LI

Coddling the Prime Minister

Parliament was to meet on the 12th of February, and it was of course
necessary that there should be a Cabinet Council before that time.
The Prime Minister, about the end of the third week in January,
was prepared to name a day for this, and did so, most unwillingly.
But he was then ill, and talked both to his friend the old Duke
and his private Secretary of having the meeting held without him.
"Impossible!" said the old Duke.

"If I could not go it would have to be possible."

"We could all come here if it were necessary."

"Bring fourteen or fifteen ministe