should go."

"But, Palliser, think of it. If this were a small matter, I would
not press you; but a man in your position has public duties. He owes
his services to his country. He has no right to go back, if it be
possible that he should so do."

"When a man has given his word, it cannot be right that he should go
back from that."

"Of course not. But a man may be absolved from a promise. Lady
Glencora--"

"My wife would, of course, absolve me. It is not that. Her happiness
demands it, and it is partly my fault that it is so. I cannot explain
to you more fully why it is that I must give up the great object for
which I have striven with all my strength."

"Oh, no!" said the Duke. "If you are sure that it is imperative--"

"It is imperative."

"I could give you twenty-four hours, you know." Mr Palliser did
not answer at once, and the Duke thought that he saw some sign of
hesitation. "I suppose it would not be possible that I should speak
to Lady Glencora?"

"It could be of no avail, Duke. She would only declare, at the first
word, that she would remain in London; but it would not be the less
my duty on that account to take her abroad."

"Well; I can't say. Of course, I can't say. Such an opportunity may
not come twice in a man's life. And at your age too! You are throwing
away from you the finest political position that the world can offer
to the ambition of any man. No one at your time of life has had such
a chance within my memory. That a man under thirty should be thought
fit to be Chancellor of the Exchequer, and should refuse it,--because
he wants to take his wife abroad! Palliser, if she were dying, you
should remain under such an emergency as this. She might go, but you
should remain."

Mr Palliser remained silent for a moment or two in his chair; he then
rose and walked towards the window, as he spoke. "There are things
worse than death," he said, when his back was turned. His voice was
very low, and there was a tear in his eye as he spoke them; the words
were indeed whispered, but the Duke heard them, and felt that he
could not press him any more on the subject of his wife.

"And must this be final?" said the Duke.

"I think it must. But your visit here has come so quickly on my
resolution to go abroad,--which, in truth, was only made ten minutes
before your name was brought to me,--that I believe I ought to ask
for a portion of those twenty-four hours which you have offered me. A
small portion