At the advice of the elder Duke, a paragraph was hatched, in which it was declared that her Majesty, 'having regard to the safety of the nation and the possible, though happily not probable, chances of war, thought that the present strength of the navy should be considered'.'It will give him scope for a new gun-boat on an altered principle,' said the Duke of St Bungay.But the Prime Minister, could he have his own way, would have given Sir Orlando no scope whatever.He would have let the Coalition have gone to the dogs and have fallen himself into infinite political ruin, but that he did not dare that men should thereafter say of him that this attempt at government had failed because he was stubborn, imperious, and self-confident.He had known when he took his present place he must yield to others; but he had not known how terrible it would be to have to yield when a principle is in question,--how great was the suffering when a man finds himself compelled to do that which he thinks should not be done! Therefore, though he had been strangely loving to his wife, the time had not gone smoothly with him.
In direct disobedience to her husband the Duchess did speak a word to Mr Sprugeon.When at the Castle she was frequently driven through Silverbridge, and on one occasion had her carriage stopped at the ironmonger's door.Out came Mr Sprugeon, and there were at first half-a-dozen standing by who could hear what she said.Millepois the cook wanted to have some new kind of iron plate erected in the kitchen.Of course she had provided herself beforehand with her excuse.As a rule, when the cook wanted anything done, he did not send word to the tradesman by the Duchess.But on this occasion the Duchess was personally most anxious.She wanted to see how the iron plate would work.
It was to be a particular kind of iron plate.Then, having watched her opportunity, she said her word, 'I suppose we shall be safe with Mr Lopez?' When Mr Sprugeon was about to reply, she shook her head and went on about the iron plate.This would be quite enough to let Mr Sprugeon understand that she was still anxious about the borough.Mr Sprugeon was an intelligent man, and possessed of discretion to a certain extent.As soon as he saw the little frown and shake of the head, he understood it all.
He and the Duchess had a secret together.Would not everything about the Castle in which a morsel of iron was employed want renewing? And would not the Duchess take care that it should all be renewed by Sprugeon? But then he must be active, and his activity would be of no avail unless others helped him.So he whispered a word to Sprout, and it soon became known that the Castle interest was all alive.
But unfortunately the Duke was also on the alert.The Duke had been very much in earnest when he made up his mind that the old custom should be abandoned at Silverbridge and had endeavoured to impress that determination of his upon his wife.The Duke knew more about his property and was better acquainted with its details than his wife or others believed.He heard that in spite of all his orders the Castle interest was being maintained, and a word was said to him which seemed to imply that this was his wife's doings.It was then about the middle of February, and arrangements were in process for the removal of the family to London.The Duke had already been up to London for the meeting of Parliament, and had now come back to Gatherum, purporting to return to London with his wife.Then it was that it was hinted to him that her Grace was still anxious as to the election,--and had manifested her anxiety.The rumour hurt him, though he did not in the least believe it.It showed to him, as he thought, not that his wife had been false to him,--as in truth she had been,--but that even her name could not be kept free from slander.And when he spoke to her on the subject, he did so rather with the view of proving to her how necessary it was that she should keep herself altogether aloof from such matters, than with any wish to make further inquiry.But he elicited the whole truth.'It is so hard to kill an old-established evil,' he said.
'What evil have you failed to kill now?'
'Those people at Silverbridge still say I want to return a member for them.'
'Oh; that's the evil! You know I think instead of killing an evil, you have murdered an excellent institution.' This at any rate was very imprudent on the part of the Duchess.After that disobedient word spoken to Mr Sprugeon, she should have been more on her guard.
'As to that, Glencora, I must judge for myself.'
'Oh yes,--you have been jury, and judge, and executioner.'
'I have done as I thought right to do.I am sorry that I should fail to carry you with me in such a matter, but even failing in that I must do my duty.You will at any rate agree with me that when I say the thing should be done, it should be done.'
'If you wanted to destroy the house, and cut down all the trees, and turn the place into a wilderness, I suppose you would only have to speak.Of course I know it would be wrong that I should have an opinion.As "man" you are of course to have your own way.' She was in one of her most aggravating moods.Though he might compel her to obey, he could not compel her to hold her tongue.
'Glencora, I don't think you know how much you add to my troubles, or you would not speak to me like that.'
'What am I to say? It seems to me that any more suicidal thing than throwing away the borough never was done.Who will thank you? What additional support will you get? How will it increase your power? It's like King Lear throwing off his clothes in the storm because his daughters turned him out.And you didn't do it because you thought it right.'
'Yes, I did,' he said, scowling.
'You did it because Major Pountney disgusted you.You kicked him out.Why wouldn't that satisfy without sacrificing the borough?
It isn't what I think or say about it, but that everybody is thinking and saying the same thing.'
'I choose that it will be so.'
'Very well.'