m;
but then, so also was it a duty to support his party. And each one
could see his way to the one duty, whereas the other was vague, and
too probably ultimately impossible. If it were proper to throw off
the incubus of this conjuror's authority, surely some wise, and
great, and bold man would get up and so declare. Some junto of wise
men of the party would settle that he should be deposed. But where
were they to look for the wise and bold men? where even for the
junto? Of whom did the party consist?--Of honest, chivalrous, and
enthusiastic men, but mainly of men who were idle, and unable to
take upon their own shoulders the responsibility of real work. Their
leaders had been selected from the outside,--clever, eager, pushing
men, but of late had been hardly selected from among themselves. As
used to be the case with Italian Powers, they entrusted their cause
to mercenary foreign generals, soldiers of fortune, who carried their
good swords whither they were wanted; and, as of old, the leaders
were ever ready to fight, but would themselves declare what should
be and what should not be the _casus belli_. There was not so much
meanness as Mr. Ratler supposed in the Conservative ranks, but very
much more unhappiness. Would it not be better to go home and live
at the family park all the year round, and hunt, and attend Quarter
Sessions, and be able to declare morning and evening with a clear
conscience that the country was going to the dogs? Such was the
mental working of many a Conservative who supported Mr. Daubeny on
this occasion.

At the instance of Lady Laura, Phineas called upon the Duke of St.
Bungay soon after his return, and was very kindly received by his
Grace. In former days, when there were Whigs instead of Liberals, it
was almost a rule of political life that all leading Whigs should be
uncles, brothers-in-law, or cousins to each other. This was pleasant
and gave great consistency to the party; but the system has now gone
out of vogue. There remain of it, however, some traces, so that among
the nobler born Liberals of the day there is still a good deal of
agreeable family connection. In this way the St. Bungay Fitz-Howards
were related to the Mildmays and Standishes, and such a man as
Barrington Erle was sure to be cousin to all of them. Lady Laura
had thus only sent her friend to a relation of her own, and as the
Duke and Phineas had been in the same Government, his Grace was
glad enough to receive the retu