m a large one such as
Longroyston." The other Miss Palliser had been christened Euphemia.

"We've got no pipes, Duchess, at any rate," said Lady Glencora; and
Alice, as she sat listening, thought she discerned in Lady Glencora's
pronunciation of the word pipes an almost hidden imitation of the
Duchess's whistle. It must have been so, for at the moment Lady
Glencora's eye met Alice's for an instant, and was then withdrawn, so
that Alice was compelled to think that her friend and cousin was not
always quite successful in those struggles she made to be proper.

Then the gentlemen came in one after another, and other ladies, till
about thirty people were assembled. Mr Palliser came up and spoke
another word to Alice in a kind voice,--meant to express some sense
of connection if not cousinship. "My wife has been thinking so much
of your coming. I hope we shall be able to amuse you." Alice, who had
already begun to feel desolate, was grateful, and made up her mind
that she would try to like Mr Palliser.

Jeffrey Palliser was almost the last in the room, but directly he
entered Lady Glencora got up from her seat, and met him as he was
coming into the crowd. "You must take my cousin, Alice Vavasor, in
to dinner," she said, "and;--will you oblige me to-day?"

"Yes;--as you ask me like that."

"Then try to make her comfortable." After that she introduced them,
and Jeffrey Palliser stood opposite to Alice, talking to her, till
dinner was announced.

CHAPTER XXIII

Dinner at Matching Priory

Alice found herself seated near to Lady Glencora's end of the table,
and, in spite of her resolution to like Mr Palliser, she was not
sorry that such an arrangement had been made. Mr Palliser had taken
the Duchess out to dinner, and Alice wished to be as far removed
as possible from her Grace. She found herself seated between her
bespoken friend Jeffrey Palliser and the Duke, and as soon as she
was seated Lady Glencora introduced her to her second neighbour. "My
cousin, Duke," Lady Glencora said, "and a terrible Radical."

"Oh, indeed; I'm glad of that. We're sadly in want of a few leading
Radicals, and perhaps I may be able to gain one now."

Alice thought of her cousin George, and wished that he, instead of
herself, was sitting next to the Duke of St Bungay. "But I'm afraid I
never shall be a leading Radical," she said.

"You shall lead me at any rate, if you will," said he.

"As the little dogs lead the blind men," sai