“Not so very bad, Duchess, I hope,” said Phineas, observing that at this moment Madame Max Goesler’s eyes were brilliant with triumph.  Then there came upon him a sudden ambition,—­that he would like to “cut out” the Duke of Omnium in the estimation of Madame Max Goesler.  The brightness of Madame Max Goesler’s eyes had not been thrown away upon our hero.

Violet Effingham came at the appointed time, and, to the surprise of Phineas, was brought to Matching by Lord Brentford.  Phineas at first thought that it was intended that the Earl and his son should meet and make up their quarrel at Mr. Palliser’s house.  But Lord Brentford stayed only one night, and Phineas on the next morning heard the whole history of his coming and going from Violet.  “I have almost been on my knees to him to stay,” she said.  “Indeed, I did go on my knees,—­actually on my knees.”

“And what did he say?”

“He put his arm round me and kissed me, and,—­and,—­I cannot tell you all that he said.  But it ended in this,—­that if Chiltern can be made to go to Saulsby, fatted calves without stint will be killed.  I shall do all I can to make him go; and so must you, Mr. Finn.  Of course that silly affair in foreign parts is not to make any difference between you two.”

Phineas smiled, and said he would do his best, and looked up into her face, and was just able to talk to her as though things were going comfortably with him.  But his heart was very cold.  As Violet had spoken to him about Lord Chiltern there had come upon him, for the first time,—­for the first time since he had known that Lord Chiltern had been refused,—­an idea, a doubt, whether even yet Violet might not become Lord Chiltern’s wife.  His heart was very sad, but he struggled on,—­declaring that it was incumbent on them both to bring together the father and son.

“I am so glad to hear you say so, Mr. Finn,” said Violet.  “I really do believe that you can do more towards it than any one else.  Lord Chiltern would think nothing of my advice,—­would hardly speak to me on such a subject.  But he respects you as well as likes you, and not the less because of what has occurred.”

How was it that Violet should know aught of the respect or liking felt by this rejected suitor for that other suitor,—­who had also been rejected?  And how was it that she was thus able to talk of one of them to the other, as though neither of them had ever come forward with such a suit?  Phineas felt his position to be so strange as to be almost burdensome.  He had told Violet, when she had refused him, very plainly, that he should come again to her, and ask once more for the great gift which he coveted.  But he could not ask again now.  In the first place, there was that in her manner which made him sure that were he to do so, he would ask in vain; and then he felt that she was placing a special confidence in him, against which he would commit a sin were he to use her present intimacy with him for the purposes