," said Lady Glencora. "I knew you
would. And you may say whatever you like. But I could not bear that
you should not know the real reason why I neither came to you nor
sent for you after we went to London. You'll come to me now; won't
you, dear?"

"Yes;--and you'll come to me," said Alice, making in her mind a sort
of bargain that she was not to be received into Mr Palliser's house
after the fashion in which Lady Midlothian had proposed to receive
her. But it struck her at once that this was unworthy of her, and
ungenerous. "But I'll come to you," she added, "whether you come to
me or not."

"I will go to you," said Lady Glencora, "of course,--why shouldn't I?
But you know what I mean. We shall have dinners and parties and lots
of people."

"And we shall have none," said Alice, smiling.

"And therefore there is so much more excuse for your coming to
me;--or rather I mean so much more reason, for I don't want excuses.
Well, dear, I'm so glad I've told you. I was afraid to see you in
London. I should hardly have known how to look at you then. But I've
got over that now." Then she smiled and returned the kiss which Alice
had given her. It was singular to see her standing on the bedroom rug
with all her magnificence of dress, but with her hair pushed back
behind her ears, and her eyes red with tears,--as though the burden
of the magnificence remained to her after its purpose was over.

"I declare it's ever so much past twelve. Good night, now, dear. I
wonder whether he's come up. But I should have heard his step if he
had. He never treads lightly. He seldom gives over work till after
one, and sometimes goes on till three. It's the only thing he likes,
I believe. God bless you! good night. I've such a deal more to say to
you; and Alice, you must tell me something about yourself, too; won't
you, dear?" Then without waiting for an answer Lady Glencora went,
leaving Alice in a maze of bewilderment. She could hardly believe
that all she had heard, and all she had done, had happened since she
left Queen Anne Street that morning.

CHAPTER XXIV

Three Politicians

Mr Palliser was one of those politicians in possessing whom England
has perhaps more reason to be proud than of any other of her
resources, and who, as a body, give to her that exquisite combination
of conservatism and progress which is her present strength and best
security for the future. He could afford to learn to be a statesman,
and had the indus