m he himself could
agree on the main questions of the day. As he certainly could not say
that he had political confidence in the present Ministry, he should
certainly vote against them on this occasion.

In the course of the evening Phineas found a letter addressed to
himself from Mr. Bonteen. It was as follows:--

House of Commons, April 5th, 18--.

DEAR MR. FINN,

I never accused you of dishonesty. You must have mis-heard
or misunderstood me if you thought so. I did say that you
had scuttled the ship;--and as you most undoubtedly did
scuttle it,--you and Mr. Monk between you,--I cannot
retract my words.

I do not want to go to any one for testimony as to your
merits on the occasion. I accused you of having done
nothing dishonourable or disgraceful. I think I said that
there was danger in the practice of scuttling. I think so
still, though I know that many fancy that those who
scuttle do a fine thing. I don't deny that it's fine, and
therefore you can have no cause of complaint against me.

Yours truly,

J. BONTEEN.

He had brought a copy of his own letter in his pocket to the House,
and he showed the correspondence to Mr. Monk. "I would not have
noticed it, had I been you," said he.

"You can have no idea of the offensive nature of the remark when it
was made."

"It's as offensive to me as to you, but I should not think of moving
in such a matter. When a man annoys you, keep out of his way. It is
generally the best thing you can do."

"If a man were to call you a liar?"

"But men don't call each other liars. Bonteen understands the world
much too well to commit himself by using any word which common
opinion would force him to retract. He says we scuttled the ship.
Well;--we did. Of all the political acts of my life it is the one
of which I am most proud. The manner in which you helped me has
entitled you to my affectionate esteem. But we did scuttle the ship.
Before you can quarrel with Bonteen you must be able to show that a
metaphorical scuttling of a ship must necessarily be a disgraceful
act. You see how he at once retreats behind the fact that it need not
be so."

"You wouldn't answer his letter."

"I think not. You can do yourself no good by a correspondence in
which you cannot get a hold of him. And if you did get a hold of him
you would injure yourself much more than him. Just drop it." This
added much to our friend's misery, and made hi