“The position of gentlemen in inferior offices,—­of gentlemen who attend rather to the nods and winks of their superiors in Downing Street than to the interest of their constituents,—­I do not regard as being highly respectable.”

“A man cannot begin at the top,” said Phineas.

“Our friend Mr. Monk has begun at what you are pleased to call the top,” said Mr. Turnbull.  “But I will not profess to think that even he has raised himself by going into office.  To be an independent representative of a really popular commercial constituency is, in my estimation, the highest object of an Englishman’s ambition.”

“But why commercial, Mr. Turnbull?” said Mr. Kennedy.

“Because the commercial constituencies really do elect their own members in accordance with their own judgments, whereas the counties and the small towns are coerced either by individuals or by a combination of aristocratic influences.”

“And yet,” said Mr. Kennedy, “there are not half a dozen Conservatives returned by all the counties in Scotland.”

“Scotland is very much to be honoured,” said Mr. Turnbull.

Mr. Kennedy was the first to take his departure, and Mr. Turnbull followed him very quickly.  Phineas got up to go at the same time, but stayed at his host’s request, and sat for awhile smoking a cigar.

“Turnbull is a wonderful man,” said Mr. Monk.

“Does he not domineer too much?”

“His fault is not arrogance, so much as ignorance that there is, or should be, a difference between public and private life.  In the House of Commons a man in Mr. Turnbull’s position must speak with dictatorial assurance.  He is always addressing, not the House only, but the country at large, and the country will not believe in him unless he believe in himself.  But he forgets that he is not always addressing the country at large.  I wonder what sort of a time Mrs. Turnbull and the little Turnbulls have of it?”

Phineas, as he went home, made up his mind that Mrs. Turnbull and the little Turnbulls must probably have a bad time of it.

CHAPTER XIX

Lord Chiltern Rides His Horse Bonebreaker

It was known that whatever might be the details of Mr. Mildmay’s bill, the ballot would not form a part of it; and as there was a strong party in the House of Commons, and a very numerous party out of it, who were desirous that voting by ballot should be made a part of the electoral law, it was decided that an independent motion should be brought on in anticipation of Mr. Mildmay’s bill.  The arrangement was probably one of Mr. Mildmay’s own making; so that he might be hampered by no opposition on that subject by his own followers if,—­as he did not doubt,—­the motion should be lost.  It was expected that the debate would not last over one night, and Phineas resolved that he would make his maiden speech on this occasion.  He had very strong opinions as to the inefficacy of the ballot for any good purposes, and thought that he might be able to strike out from his convictions some sparks of that fire which used to be so plentiful with him at the old debating clubs.  But even at breakfast that morning his heart began to beat quickly at the idea of having to stand on his legs before so critical an audience.