d fondled, were absolutely necessary to her happiness. She wanted
the little daily assurance of her supremacy in the man's feelings,
the constant touch of love, half accidental half contrived, the
passing glance of the eye telling perhaps of some little joke
understood only between them two rather than of love, the softness of
an occasional kiss given here and there when chance might bring them
together, some half-pretended interest in her little doings, a nod, a
wink, a shake of the head, or even a pout. It should have been given
to her to feed upon such food as this daily, and then she would have
forgotten Burgo Fitzgerald. But Mr Palliser understood none of these
things; and therefore the image of Burgo Fitzgerald in all his beauty
was ever before her eyes.

But not the less was Mr Palliser a prosperous man, as to the success
of whose career few who knew him had much doubt. It might be written
in the book of his destiny that he would have to pass through some
violent domestic trouble, some ruin in the hopes of his home, of a
nature to destroy then and for ever the worldly prospects of other
men. But he was one who would pass through such violence, should
it come upon him, without much scathe. To lose his influence with
his party would be worse to him than to lose his wife, and public
disgrace would hit him harder than private dishonour.

And the present was the very moment in which success was, as was
said, coming to him. He had already held laborious office under the
Crown, but had never sat in the Cabinet. He had worked much harder
than Cabinet Ministers generally work,--but hitherto had worked
without any reward that was worth his having. For the stipend which
he had received had been nothing to him,--as the great stipend which
he would receive, if his hopes were true, would also be nothing to
him. To have ascendancy over other men, to be known by his countrymen
as one of their real rulers, to have an actual and acknowledged voice
in the management of nations,--those were the rewards for which he
looked; and now in truth it seemed as though they were coming to him.
It was all but known that the existing Chancellor of the Exchequer
would separate himself from the Government, carrying various others
with him, either before or immediately consequent on the meeting
of Parliament;--and it was all but known, also, that Mr Palliser
would fill his place, taking that high office at once, although he
had never hitherto sa