and was to come to Saulsby with the Kennedys from Loughlinter,—­either with the Kennedys or somewhat in advance of them.  “I do not say that there will be no opposition,” said the Earl, “but I expect none.”  He was very courteous,—­nay, he was kind, feeling doubtless that his family owed a great debt of gratitude to the young man with whom he was conversing; but, nevertheless, there was not absent on his part a touch of that high condescension which, perhaps, might be thought to become the Earl, the Cabinet Minister, and the great borough patron.  Phineas, who was sensitive, felt this and winced.  He had never quite liked Lord Brentford, and could not bring himself to do so now in spite of the kindness which the Earl was showing him.

But he was very happy when he sat down to write to his father from the club.  His father had told him that the money should be forthcoming for the election at Loughshane, if he resolved to stand, but that the chance of success would be very slight,—­indeed that, in his opinion, there would be no chance of success.  Nevertheless, his father had evidently believed, when writing, that Phineas would not abandon his seat without a useless and expensive contest.  He now thanked his father with many expressions of gratitude,—­declared his conviction that his father was right about Lord Tulla, and then, in the most modest language that he could use, went on to say that he had found another borough open to him in England.  He was going to stand for Loughton, with the assistance of Lord Brentford, and thought that the election would probably not cost him above a couple of hundred pounds at the outside.  Then he wrote a very pretty note to Lord Tulla, thanking him for his former kindness, and telling the Irish Earl that it was not his intention to interfere with the borough of Loughshane at the next election.

A few days after this Phineas was very much surprised at a visit that was made to him at his lodgings.  Mr. Clarkson, after that scene in the lobby of the House, called again in Great Marlborough Street,—­and was admitted.  “You had better let him sit in your armchair for half an hour or so,” Fitzgibbon had said; and Phineas almost believed that it would be better.  The man was a terrible nuisance to him, and he was beginning to think that he had better undertake to pay the debt by degrees.  It was, he knew, quite on the cards that Mr. Clarkson should have him arrested while at Saulsby.  Since that scene in the lobby Mr. Clarkson had been with him twice, and there had been a preliminary conversation as to real payment.  Mr. Clarkson wanted a hundred pounds down, and another bill for two hundred and twenty at three months’ date.  “Think of my time and trouble in coming here,” Mr. Clarkson had urged when Phineas had objected to these terms.  “Think of my time and trouble, and do be punctual, Mr. Finn.”  Phineas had offered him ten pounds a quarter, the payments to be marked on the back of the bill, a tender which Mr. Clarkson had not seemed