sh myself dead now."

"We shall all have to go home, I suppose?" said Alice.

"He says so;--but he seems to think that I oughtn't to travel above
a mile and a half a day. When I talked of going down the Rhine in
one of the steamers, I thought he would have gone into a fit. When I
asked him why, he gave me such a look. I know he'll make a goose of
himself;--and he'll make geese of us, too; which is worse."

On that afternoon, as they were walking together, Mr Palliser told
the important secret to his new friend, Mr Grey. He could not deny
himself the pleasure of talking about this great event. "It is a
matter, you see, of such immense importance to me," Mr Palliser said.

"Indeed, it is," said Grey. "Every man feels that when a child
is about to be born to him." But this did not at all satisfy Mr
Palliser.

"Yes," said he. "That's of course. It is an important thing to
everybody;--very important, no doubt. But, when a man--. You see,
Grey, I don't think a man is a bit better because he is rich, or
because he has a title; nor do I think he is likely to be in any
degree the happier. I am quite sure that he has no right to be in the
slightest degree proud of that which he has had no hand in doing for
himself."

"Men usually are very proud of such advantages," said Grey.

"I don't think that I am; I don't, indeed. I am proud of some things.
Whenever I can manage to carry a point in the House, I feel very
proud of it. I don't think I ever knocked under to any one, and I am
proud of that." Perhaps, Mr Palliser was thinking of a certain time
when his uncle the Duke had threatened him, and he had not given way
to the Duke's threats. "But I don't think I'm proud because chance
has made me my uncle's heir."

"Not in the least, I should say."

"But I do feel that a son to me is of more importance than it is
to most men. A strong anxiety on the subject, is, I think, more
excusable in me than it might be in another. I don't know whether I
quite make myself understood?"

"Oh, yes! When there's a dukedom and heaven knows how many thousands
a year to be disposed of, the question of their future ownership does
become important."

"This property is so much more interesting to one, if one feels that
all one does to it is done for one's own son."

"And yet," said Grey, "of all the great plunderers of property
throughout Europe, the Popes have been the most greedy."

"Perhaps it's different, when a man can't have a wife," sa