of the Exchequer was then
present, divided only by one little thin Secretary of State from Jove
himself. Would he get up and declare his purposes? He was a man who
almost always did get up when an opportunity offered itself,--or when
it did not. Some second little gun was fired off from the Opposition
benches, and then there was a pause. Would the purse-bearer of
Olympus rise upon his wings and speak his mind, or would he sit
in silence upon his cloud? There was a general call for the
purse-bearer, but he floated in silence, and was inexplicable. The
purse-bearer was not to be bullied into any sudden reading of the
riddle. Then there came on a general debate about money matters, in
which the purse-bearer did say a few words, but he said nothing as
to the great question at issue. At last up got Mr Palliser, towards
the close of the evening, and occupied a full hour in explaining what
taxes the Government might remit with safety, and what they might
not,--Mr Bott, meanwhile, prompting him with figures from behind
with an assiduity that was almost too persistent. According to Mr
Palliser, the words used in the Queen's Speech were not at all too
cautious. The Members went out gradually, and the House became very
thin during this oration; but the newspapers declared, next morning,
that his speech had been the speech of the night, and that the
perspicuity of Mr Palliser pointed him out as the coming man.

He returned home to his house in Park Lane quite triumphant after his
success, and found Lady Glencora, at about twelve o'clock, sitting
alone. She had arrived in town on that day, having come up at her own
request, instead of remaining at Matching Priory till after Easter,
as he had proposed. He had wished her to stay, in order, as he
had said, that there might be a home for his cousins. But she had
expressed herself unwilling to remain without him, explaining that
the cousins might have the home in her absence, as well as they
could in her presence; and he had given way. But, in truth, she had
learned to hate her cousin Iphy Palliser with a hatred that was
unreasonable,--seeing that she did not also hate Alice Vavasor, who
had done as much to merit her hatred as had her cousin. Lady Glencora
knew by what means her absence from Monkshade had been brought about.
Miss Palliser had told her all that had passed in Alice's bedroom on
the last night of Alice's stay at Matching, and had, by so doing,
contrived to prevent the visi