d herself of
her passion in the course of years, although she felt its existence
to be an intolerable burden on her conscience. On which side lay
strength of character and on which side weakness? Was he strong or
was she?

And he tried to examine his own feelings in regard to her. The thing
was so long ago that she was to him as some aunt, or sister, so much
the elder as to be almost venerable. He acknowledged to himself a
feeling which made it incumbent upon him to spend himself in her
service, could he serve her by any work of his. He was,--or would be,
devoted to her. He owed her a never-dying gratitude. But were she
free to marry again to-morrow, he knew that he could not marry her.
She herself had said the same thing. She had said that she would be
his sister. She had specially required of him that he should make
known to her his wife, should he ever marry again. She had declared
that she was incapable of further jealousy;--and yet she now told him
of daily sin of which her conscience could not assoil itself.

"Phineas," said a voice close to his ears, "are you repenting your
sins?"

"Oh, certainly;--what sins?"

It was Barrington Erle. "You know that we are going to do nothing
to-morrow," continued he.

"So I am told."

"We shall let the Address pass almost without a word. Gresham will
simply express his determination to oppose the Church Bill to the
knife. He means to be very plain-spoken about it. Whatever may be the
merits of the Bill, it must be regarded as an unconstitutional effort
to retain power in the hands of the minority, coming from such hands
as those of Mr. Daubeny. I take it he will go at length into the
question of majorities, and show how inexpedient it is on behalf
of the nation that any Ministry should remain in power who cannot
command a majority in the House on ordinary questions. I don't know
whether he will do that to-morrow or at the second reading of the
Bill."

"I quite agree with him."

"Of course you do. Everybody agrees with him. No gentleman can have
a doubt on the subject. Personally, I hate the idea of Church Reform.
Dear old Mildmay, who taught me all I know, hates it too. But Mr.
Gresham is the head of our party now, and much as I may differ from
him on many things, I am bound to follow him. If he proposes Church
Reform in my time, or anything else, I shall support him."

"I know those are your ideas."

"Of course they are. There are no other ideas on which things c