Cadurcis mounted his horse and rode down to the House of Lords.  There was a debate of some public interest, and a considerable crowd was collected round the Peers’ entrance.  The moment Lord Cadurcis was recognised, the multitude began hooting.  He was agitated, and grinned a ghastly smile at the rabble.  But he dismounted, without further annoyance, and took his seat.  Not a single peer of his own party spoke to him.  The leader of the Opposition, indeed, bowed to him, and, in the course of the evening, he received, from one or two more of his party, some formal evidences of frigid courtesy.  The tone of his reception by his friends could not be concealed from the ministerial party.  It was soon detected, and generally whispered, that Lord Cadurcis was cut.  Nevertheless, he sat out the debate and voted.  The house broke up.  He felt lonely; his old friend, the Bishop of——­, who had observed all that had occurred, and who might easily have avoided him, came forward, however, in the most marked manner, and, in a tone which everybody heard, said, ’How do you do, Lord Cadurcis?  I am very glad to see you,’ shaking his hand most cordially.  This made a great impression.  Several of the Tory Lords, among them Venetia’s uncle, now advanced and sainted him.  He received their advances with a haughty, but not disdainful, courtesy; but when his Whig friends, confused, now hurried to encumber him with their assistance, he treated them with the scorn which they well deserved.

‘Will you take a seat in my carriage home, Lord Cadurcis?’ said his leader, for it was notorious that Cadurcis had been mobbed on his arrival.

‘Thank you, my lord,’ said Cadurcis, speaking very audibly, ’I prefer returning as I came.  We are really both of us such unpopular personages, that your kindness would scarcely be prudent.’

The house had been full; there was a great scuffle and confusion as the peers were departing; the mob, now considerable, were prepared for the appearance of Lord Cadurcis, and their demeanour was menacing.  Some shouted out his name; then it was repeated with odious and vindictive epithets, followed by ferocious yells.  A great many peers collected round Cadurcis, and entreated him not to return on horseback.  It must be confessed that genuine and considerable feeling was now shown by all men of all parties.  And indeed to witness this young, and noble, and gifted creature, but a few days back the idol of the nation, and from whom a word, a glance even, was deemed the greatest and most gratifying distinction, whom all orders, classes, and conditions of men had combined to stimulate with multiplied adulation, with all the glory and ravishing delights of the world, as it were, forced upon him, to see him thus assailed with the savage execrations of all those vile things who exult in the fall of everything that is great, and the abasement of everything that is noble, was indeed a spectacle which might have silenced malice and satisfied envy!