e dropped the subject for a while, as though he were
ashamed of it, but in a very few minutes he returned to it manfully.
"Mr Palliser wants me to go into Parliament." Upon hearing this Alice
said nothing. She was afraid to speak. After all that had passed she
felt that it would not become her to show much outward joy on hearing
such a proposition, so spoken by him, and yet she could say nothing
without some sign of exultation in her voice. So she walked on
without speaking, and was conscious that her fingers trembled on his
arm. "What do you say about it?" he asked.

"What do I say? Oh, John, what right can I have to say anything?"

"No one else can have so much right,--putting aside of course myself,
who must be responsible for my own actions. He asked me whether I
could afford it, and he seems to think that a smaller income suffices
for such work now than it did a few years since. I believe that I
could afford it, if I could get a seat that was not very expensive at
the first outset. He could help me there."

"On that point, of course, I can have no opinion."

"No; not on that point. I believe we may take that for granted.
Living in London for four or five months in the year might be
managed. But as to the mode of life!"

Then Alice was unable to hold her tongue longer, and spoke out her
thoughts with more vehemence than discretion. No doubt he combated
them with some amount of opposition. He seldom allowed out-spoken
enthusiasm to pass by him without some amount of hostility. But he
was not so perverse as to be driven from his new views by the fact
that Alice approved them, and she, as she drew near home, was able
to think that the only flaw in his character was in process of being
cured.

When they reached London they all separated. It was Mr Palliser's
purpose to take his wife down to Matching with as little delay as
possible. London was at this time nearly empty, and all the doings
of the season were over. It was now the first week of August, and
as Parliament had not been sitting for nearly two months, the town
looked as it usually looks in September. Lady Glencora was to stay
but one day in Park Lane, and it had been understood between her and
Alice that they were not to see each other.

"How odd it is parting in this way, when people have been together so
long," said Lady Glencora. "It always seems as though there had been
a separate little life of its own which was now to be brought to a
close. I sup