I could brazen out a job and let the "People's Banner" and the Slides make their worst of it.And I think I could make myself popular with my party, and do the high-flowing patriotic talk for the benefit of the Provinces.A man at a regular office has to work.That's what Plantagenet is fit for.He wants always to be doing something that shall be really useful, and a man has to toil at that and really to know things.But a Prime Minister should never go beyond generalities about commerce, agriculture, peace, and general philanthropy.Of course he should have the gift of the gab, and that Plantagenet hasn't got.He never wants to say anything unless he has got something to say.I could do a Mansion House dinner to a marvel!'
'I don't doubt that you could speak at all times, Lady Glen.'
'Oh, I do so wish that I had the opportunity,' said the Duchess.
Of course the Duke had read the article in the privacy of his own room, and of course the article had nearly maddened him with anger and grief.As the Duchess had said, the article had taken from him the very ground on which his friends had told him that he could stand.He had never consented, and never would consent, to lay the blame publicly on his wife; but he had begun to think that he must take notice of the charge made against him, and depute someone to explain for him in the House of Commons that the injury had been done at Silverbridge by the indiscretion of an agent who had not fulfilled his employer's intentions, and that the Duke had thought it right afterwards pay the money in consequence of the indiscretion.He had not agreed to this, but had brought himself to think that he must agree to it.But now, of course, the questions would follow:--Who was the indiscreet agent? Was the Duchess the person for whose indiscretions he had had to pay 500 pounds to Mr Lopez? And in this matter did he not find himself in accord even with Mr Slide? 'We should hardly have thought that even a man so notoriously weak as the Duke of Omnium would have endeavoured to ride out of the responsibility by throwing the blame on his wife.' He read and reread those words till he knew them by heart.For a few moments it seemed to him to be an evil in the Constitution that the Prime Minister should not have the power of instantly crucifying so foul a slanderer;--and yet it was the very truth of the words that crushed him.He was weak,--he told himself,--notoriously weak, it must be, and it would be most mean in him to ride out of responsibility by throwing the blame upon his wife.But what else was he to do? There seemed to him to be but one course,--to get up in the House of Lords and declared that he paid the money because he thought it right to do under the circumstances which he could not explain, and to declare that it was not his intention to say another word on the subject, or to have another word said on his behalf.
There was a Cabinet Council held that day, but no one ventured to speak to the Prime Minister as to the accusation.Though he considered himself to be weak, his colleagues were all more or less afraid of him.There was a certain silent dignity about the man which saved him from the evils, as it also debarred him from the advantages, of familiarity.He had spoken on the subject to Mr Monk and to Phineas Finn, and, as the reader knows, very often to his old mentor.He had also mentioned it to his friend Lord Cantrip, who was not in the Cabinet.Coming away from the Cabinet he took Mr Monk's arm, and led him away to his own room in the Treasury Chambers.'Have you happened to see an article in the "People's Banner" this morning?' he asked.
'I never see the "People's Banner",' said Mr Monk.
'There it is;--just look at that.' Whereupon Mr Monk read the article.'You understand what people call constitutional practice as well as anyone I know.As I told you before, I did pay that man's expenses.Did I do anything unconstitutional?'
'That would depend, Duke, on the circumstances.If you were to back a man up by your wealth in an expensive contest, I think it would be unconstitutional.If you set yourself to work in that way, ,and cared not what you spent, you might materially influence the elections, and buy parliamentary support for yourself.'
'But in this case the payment was made after the man had failed, and certainly had not been promised either by me or by anyone on my behalf.'
'I think it was unfortunate,' said Mr Monk.
'Certainly; certainly; but I am not asking as to that,' said the Duke impatiently.'The man had been injured by indiscreet persons acting on my behalf and in opposition to my wishes.' He said not a word about the Duchess; but Mr Monk no doubt knew that her Grace had been at any rate one of the indiscreet persons.
'He applied to me for the money, alleging that he had been injured by my agents.That being so,--presuming that my story be correct,--did I act unconstitutionally?'
'I think not,' said Mr Monk, 'and I think that the circumstances, when explained, will bear you harmless.'
'Thank you; thank you.I did not want to trouble you about that just at present.'