oreign country to restore to him his erring wife.
But he thought that public opinion, if loudly expressed, would have
an effect both upon her and upon her father, which his private words
could not produce. "I wonder very greatly that you should put such a
letter as that into type," said Phineas when he had read it all.

"Why shouldn't we put it into type?"

"You don't mean to say that you'll publish it."

"Why shouldn't we publish it?"

"It's a private quarrel between a man and his wife. What on earth
have the public got to do with that?"

"Private quarrels between gentlemen and ladies have been public
affairs for a long time past. You must know that very well."

"When they come into court they are."

"In court and out of court! The morale of our aristocracy,--what you
call the Upper Ten,--would be at a low ebb indeed if the public press
didn't act as their guardians. Do you think that if the Duke of ----
beats his wife black and blue, nothing is to be said about it unless
the Duchess brings her husband into court? Did you ever know of a
separation among the Upper Ten, that wasn't handled by the press
one way or the other? It's my belief that there isn't a peer among
'em all as would live with his wife constant, if it was not for the
press;--only some of the very old ones, who couldn't help
themselves."

"And you call yourself a Conservative?"

"Never mind what I call myself. That has nothing to do with what
we're about now. You see that letter, Finn. There is nothing little
or dirty about us. We go in for morals and purity of life, and we
mean to do our duty by the public without fear or favour. Your name
is mentioned there in a manner that you won't quite like, and I think
I am acting uncommon kind by you in showing it to you before we
publish it." Phineas, who still held the slip in his hand, sat silent
thinking of the matter. He hated the man. He could not endure the
feeling of being called Finn by him without showing his resentment.
As regarded himself, he was thoroughly well inclined to kick Mr.
Slide and his _Banner_ into the street. But he was bound to think
first of Lady Laura. Such a publication as this, which was now
threatened, was the misfortune which the poor woman dreaded more
than any other. He, personally, had certainly been faultless in the
matter. He had never addressed a word of love to Mr. Kennedy's wife
since the moment in which she had told him that she was engaged to
marry the Laird o