'I came here because of that bend of the river.I am always very fond of that bend.We don't go over the river.That is Mr Upjohn's property.'
'The member for the county?'
'Yes; and a very good member, he is, though he doesn't support us;--an old-school Tory, but a great friend of my uncle, who, after all, had a good deal of Tory about him.I wonder whether he is at home.I must remind the Duchess to ask him to dinner.
You know him, of course.'
'Only by seeing him in the House.'
'You'd like him very much.When he is in the country he always wears knee breeches and gaiters, which I think is a very comfortable dress.'
'Troublesome, Duke, isn't it?'
'I never tried it, and I shouldn't dare now.Goodness me, it's past five o'clock, and we've got two miles to get home.Ihaven't looked at a letter, and Warburton will think that I've thrown myself into the river because of Sir Timothy Beeswax.'
Then they started to go home at fast pace.
'I shan't forget, Duke,' said Phineas, 'your definition of Conservatives and Liberals.'
'I don't think I ventured any definition;--only a few loose ideas which have been troubling me lately.I say, Finn!'
'Your Grace?'
'Don't you go and tell Ramsden and Drummond that I've been preaching equality, or we shall have a pretty mess.I don't know that it would serve me with my dear friend, the Duke.'
'I will be discretion itself.'
'Equality is a dream.But sometimes one likes to dream,--especially as there is not danger that Matching will fly from me in a dream.I doubt whether I could bear the test that has been attempted in other countries.'
'That poor ploughman would hardly get his share, Duke.'
'No;--that's where it is.We can only do a little, and a little to bring it nearer to us;--so little that it won't touch Matching in our day.Here is her ladyship and the ponies.Idon't think her ladyship would like to lose her ponies by my doctrine.'
The two wives of the two men were in the pony carriage, and the little Lady Glencora, the Duchess's eldest daughter, was sitting between them.'Mr Warburton has sent three messages to demand your presence,' said the Duchess, 'and as I live by bread, Ibelieve that you and Mr Finn have been amusing yourselves!'
'We have been talking politics,' said the Duke.
'Of course.What other amusement was possible? But what business have you to indulge in idle talk when Mr Warburton wants you in the library? There has come a box,' she said, 'big enough to contain the resignations of all the traitors of the party.'
This was strong language, and the Duke frowned;--but there was no one there to hear it but Phineas Finn and his wife, and they, at least, were trustworthy.The Duke suggested that he had better get back to the house as soon as possible.There might be something to be done requiring time before dinner.Mr Warburton might, at any rate, want to smoke a tranquil cigar after his day's work.The Duchess therefore left the carriage, as did Mrs Finn, and the Duke undertook to drive the little girl back to the house.'He'll surely go against a tree,' said the Duchess.But, --as a fact,--the Duke did take himself and the child home in safety.
'And what do you think about it, Mr Finn?' said her Grace.'Isuppose you and the Duke have been settling what is to be done?'
'We have certainly settled nothing.'
'Then you must have disagreed.'
'That we as certainly have not done.We have in truth not once been out of cloud-land.'
'Ah;--then there is no hope.When once grown-up politicians get into cloud-land it is because the realities of the world have no longer any charm for them.'
The big box did not contain the resignations of any of the objectionable members of the Coalition.Ministers do not often resign in September,--nor would it be expedient that they should do so.Lord Drummond and Sir Timothy Beeswax were safe, at any rate till next February, and might live without any show either of obedience or mutiny.The Duke remained in comparative quiet at Matching.There was not very much to do, except to prepare the work of the next Session.The great work of the coming year was to be the assimilation, or something very near to assimilation, of the county suffrages with those of the boroughs.
The measure was one which had now been promised by statesmen for the last two years,--promised at first with that half promise which would mean nothing, were it not that such promises always lead to more defined assurances.The Duke of St Bungay, Lord Drummond, and other Ministers had wished to stave it off.Mr Monk was eager for its adoption, and was of course supported by Phineas Finn.The Prime Minister had at first been inclined to be led by the old Duke.There was no doubt to him but that the measure was desirable and would come, but there might well be a question as to the time which it should be made to come.The old Duke knew that the measure would come,--but believing it to be wholly undesirable, thought that he was doing good work in postponing it from year to year.But Mr Monk had become urgent, and the old Duke had admitted the necessity.There must surely have been a shade of melancholy on that old man's mind as, year after year, he assisted in pulling down institutions which he in truth regarded as safeguards of the nation, but which he knew that, as a Liberal, he was bound to assist in destroying! It must have occurred to him, from time to time, that it would be well for him to depart and be at peace before everything was gone.
When he went from Matching Mr Monk took his place, and Phineas Finn, who had gone up to London for a while, returned, and then the three between them with assistance from Mr Warburton and others, worked out the proposed scheme of the new county franchise, with the new divisions and the new constituencies.
But it could hardly have been hearty work, as they all of them felt that whatever might be their first proposition they would be beat upon it in a House of Commons which thought that this Aristides had been long enough at the Treasury.