Others, older men than Silverbridge, saw as much as did our young friends, but they were more complaisant and more reasonable. They, too, heard the crackle of the buckram, and were aware that the last touch of awe had come upon that brow just as its owner was emerging from the shadow of the Speaker's chair;--but to them it was a thing of course. A real Csar is not to be found every day, nor can we always have a Pitt to control our debates. That kind of thing, that last touch has its effect. Of course it is all paint,--but how would the poor girl look before the gaslights if there were no paint? The House of Commons likes a little deportment on occasions. If a special man looks bigger than you, you can console yourself by reflecting that he also looks bigger than your fellows. Sir Timothy probably knew what he was about, and did himself on the whole more good than harm by his little tricks.
As soon as Sir Timothy had taken his seat, Mr Rattler got up from the opposition bench to ask him some questions on a matter of finance. The brewers were anxious about publican licences. Could the Chancellor of the Exchequer say a word on the matter? Notice had of course been given, and the questioner had stated a quarter of an hour previously that he would postpone his query till the Chancellor of the Exchequer was in the House.
Sir Timothy rose from his seat, and in his blandest manner began by apologising for his late appearance. He was sorry that he had been prevented by public business from being in place to answer the honourable gentleman's question in proper turn. And even now, he feared, that he must decline to give any answer which could be supposed to be satisfactory. It would probably be his duty to make a statement to the House on the following day,--a statement which he was not quite prepared to make at the present moment. But in the existing state of things he was unwilling to make any reply to any question by which he might seem to bind the government to any opinion. Then he sat down. And rising again not long afterwards, when the House had gone through certain formal duties, he moved that it should be adjourned till the next day. Then all the members trooped out, and with the others Tregear and Lord Silverbridge. 'So that is the end our your first day in Parliament,' said Silverbridge.
'What does it all mean?'
'Let us go down to the Carlton and hear what the fellows are saying.'
On that evening both the young men dined at Mr Boncassen's house.
Though Tregear had been cautioned not to write to Lady Mary, and though he was not to see her before Easter, still it was so completely understood that he was about to become her husband, that he was entertained in that capacity by all those who were concerned in the family. 'And so they will all go out,' said Mr Boncassen.
'That seems to be the general idea,' said the expectant son-in-law. 'When two men want to be first and neither will give way, they can't very well get on in the same boat together.' Then he expatiated angrily on the treachery of Sir Timothy, and Tregear in a more moderate way joined in the same opinion.
'Upon my word, young men, I doubt whether you are right,' said Mr Boncassen. 'Whether it can be possible that a man should have risen to such a position with so little patriotism as you attribute to our friend, I will not pretend to say. I should think that in England it was impossible. But of this I am sure, that the facility which exists here for a minister or ministers to go out of office without disturbance of the Crown, is a great blessing.
You say the other party will come in.'
'That is most probable,' said Silverbridge.
'With us the other party never comes in,--never has a chance of coming in,--except once in four years, when the President is elected. That one event binds us for four years.'
'But you do change your ministers,' said Tregear.
'A secretary may quarrel with the President, or he may have the gout, or be convicted of peculation.'
'And yet you think yourselves more nearly free than we are.'
'I am not so sure of that. We have had a pretty difficult task, that of carrying on a government in a new country, which is nevertheless more populous than almost any old country. The influxions are so rapid, that every ten years the nature of the people is changed. It isn't easy; and though I think on the whole we've done pretty well, I am not going to boast that Washington is as yet a seat of political Paradise.'