f the question. He goes about a mile an hour. And then he makes me
look so much like a fool. I had no idea that he would be such an old
coddle."

"The coddling will all be given to some one else, very soon."

"No baby could possibly live through it, if you mean that. If there
is a baby--"

"I suppose there will be one, by-and-by," said Alice.

"Don't be a fool! But, if there is, I shall take that matter into
my own hands. He can do what he pleases with me, and I can't help
myself; but I shan't let him or anybody do what they please with my
baby. I know what I'm about in such matters a great deal better than
he does. I've no doubt he's a very clever man in Parliament; but he
doesn't seem to me to understand anything else."

Alice was making some very wise speech in answer to this, when Lady
Glencora interrupted her.

"Mr Grey wouldn't make himself so troublesome, I'm quite sure." Then
Alice held her tongue.

When the first consternation arising from the news had somewhat
subsided,--say in a fortnight from the day in which Mr Palliser was
made so triumphant,--and when tidings had been duly sent to the Duke,
and an answer from his Grace had come, arrangements were made for the
return of the party to England. The Duke's reply was very short:--

MY DEAR PLANTAGENET,--Give my kind love to Glencora. If
it's a boy, of course I will be one of the godfathers.
The Prince, who is very kind, will perhaps oblige me by
being the other. I should advise you to return as soon as
convenient.

Your affectionate uncle,

OMNIUM.

That was the letter; and short as it was, it was probably the longest
that Mr Palliser had ever received from the Duke.

There was great trouble about the mode of their return.

"Oh, what nonsense," said Glencora. "Let us get into an express
train, and go right through to London." Mr Palliser looked at her
with a countenance full of rebuke and sorrow. He was always so
looking at her now. "If you mean, Plantagenet, that we are to be
dragged all across the Continent in that horrible carriage, and be a
thousand days on the road, I for one won't submit to it." "I wish I
had never told him a word about it," she said afterwards to Alice.
"He would never have found it out himself, till this thing was all
over."

Mr Palliser did at last consent to take the joint opinion of a Swiss
doctor and an English one who was settled at Berne; and who, on the
occasion, was summoned to Lucern