tips of his fingers. "Let them vanish," said he. "It is always
well to be rid of such troubles for a time."

It is well to be rid of them at any time, or at all times, if only
they can be banished without danger. But when a man has overused his
liver till it will not act for him any longer, it is not well for him
to resolve that he will forget the weakness of his organ just as he
sits down to dinner.

It was a pretty bit of acting, that of Vavasor's, when he blew away
his cares; and, upon the whole, I do not know that he could have
done better. But Alice saw through it, and he knew that she did so.
The whole thing was uncomfortable to him, except the fact that he
had the promise of her further moneys. But he did not intend to
rest satisfied with this. He must extract from her some meed of
approbation, some show of sympathy, some spark of affection, true or
pretended, in order that he might at least affect to be satisfied,
and be enabled to speak of the future without open embarrassment. How
could even he take her money from her, unless he might presume that
he stood with her upon some ground that belonged mutually to them
both?

"I have already taken my seat," said he.

"Yes; I saw that in the newspapers. My acquaintance among Members of
Parliament is very small, but I see that you were introduced, as they
call it, by one of the few men that I do know. Is Mr Bott a friend of
yours?"

"No,--certainly not a friend. I may probably have to act with him in
public."

"Ah, that's just what they said of Mr Palliser when they felt ashamed
of his having such a man as his guest. I think if I were in public
life I should try to act with people that I could like."

"Then you dislike Mr Bott?"

"I do not like him, but my feelings about him are not violent."

"He is a vulgar ass," said George, "with no more pretensions to rank
himself a gentleman than your footman."

"If I had one."

"But he will get on in Parliament, to a certain extent."

"I'm afraid I don't quite understand what are the requisites for
Parliamentary success, or indeed of what it consists. Is his
ambition, do you suppose, the same as yours?"

"His ambition, I take it, does not go beyond a desire to be
Parliamentary flunkey to a big man,--with wages, if possible, but
without, if the wages are impossible."

"And yours?"

"Oh, as to mine;--there are some things, Alice, that a man does not
tell to any one."

"Are there? They must be very terrible t