ve up politics for
this season. Should you like to go to Switzerland for the summer, or
perhaps to some of the German baths, and then on to Italy when the
weather is cold enough?" Still she was silent. "Perhaps your friend,
Miss Vavasor, would go with us?"

He was killing her by his goodness. She could not speak to him yet;
but now, as he mentioned Alice's name, she gently put up her hand and
rested it on the back of his.

At that moment there came a knock at the door;--a sharp knock, which
was quickly repeated.

"Come in," said Mr Palliser, dropping his arm from his wife's waist,
and standing away from her a few yards.

CHAPTER LIX

The Duke of St Bungay in Search of a Minister

It was the butler who had knocked,--showing that the knock was of
more importance than it would have been had it been struck by the
knuckles of the footman in livery. "If you please, sir, the Duke of
St Bungay is here."

"The Duke of St Bungay!" said Mr Palliser, becoming rather red as he
heard the announcement.

"Yes, sir, his grace is in the library. He bade me tell you that he
particularly wanted to see you; so I told him that you were with my
lady."

"Quite right; tell his grace that I will be with him in two minutes."
Then the butler retired, and Mr Palliser was again alone with his
wife.

"I must go now, my dear," he said; "and perhaps I shall not see you
again till the evening."

"Don't let me put you out in any way," she answered.

"Oh no;--you won't put me out. You will be dressing, I suppose, about
nine."

"I did not mean as to that," she answered. "You must not think more
of Italy. He has come to tell you that you are wanted in the
Cabinet."

Again he turned very red. "It may be so," he answered, "but though
I am wanted, I need not go. But I must not keep the duke waiting.
Good-bye." And he turned to the door.

She followed him and took hold of him as he went, so that he was
forced to turn to her once again. She managed to get hold of both
his hands, and pressed them closely, looking up into his face with
her eyes laden with tears. He smiled at her gently, returned the
pressure of the hands, and then left her,--without kissing her. It
was not that he was minded not to kiss her. He would have kissed her
willingly enough had he thought that the occasion required it. "He
says that he loves me," said Lady Glencora to herself, "but he does
not know what love means."

But she was quite aware that he had beh