vasor was not to be
there."

"Then, Plantagenet, you shouldn't have told her so, and that's the
long--; but I mustn't say that. The truth is this, if you give me any
orders I'll obey them,--as far as I can. If I can't I'll say so. But
if I'm left to go by my own judgement, it's not fair that I should be
scolded afterwards."

"I have never scolded you."

"Yes, you have. You have told me that I was uncivil."

"I said that she would think you so."

"Then, if it's only what she thinks, I don't care two straws about
it. She may have the carriage to herself if she likes, but she shan't
have me in it,--not unless I'm ordered to go. I don't like her, and I
won't pretend to like her. My belief is that she follows me about to
tell you if she thinks that I do wrong."

"Glencora!"

"And that odious baboon with the red bristles does the same
thing,--only he goes to her because he doesn't dare to go to you."

Plantagenet Palliser was struck wild with dismay. He understood well
who it was whom his wife intended to describe; but that she should
have spoken of any man as a baboon with red bristles, was terrible to
his mind! He was beginning to think that he hardly knew how to manage
his wife. And the picture she had drawn was very distressing to him.
She had no mother; neither had he; and he had wished that Mrs Marsham
should give to her some of that matronly assistance and guidance
which a mother does give to her young married daughter. It was true,
too, as he knew, that a word or two as to some socially domestic
matters had filtered through to him from Mr Bott, down at Matching
Priory, but only in such a way as to enable him to see what counsel
it was needful that he should give. As for espionage over his
wife,--no man could despise it more than he did! No man would be less
willing to resort to it! And now his wife was accusing him of keeping
spies, both male and female.

"Glencora!" he said again; and then he stopped, not knowing what to
say to her.

"Well, my dear, it's better you should know at once what I feel about
it. I don't suppose I'm very good; indeed I dare say I'm bad enough,
but these people about me won't make me any better. The duennas don't
make the Spanish ladies worth much."

"Duennas!" After that, Lady Glencora sat herself down, and Mr
Palliser stood for some moments looking at her.

It ended in his making her a long speech, in which he said a good
deal of his own justice and forbearance, and someth