“Sometimes,” said Mr. Kennedy.

“I think he is the most odious man that ever I set my eyes on,” said Phineas to himself as he followed Mr. Kennedy into the dining-room.  He had observed that Mr. Kennedy had been standing very near to Lady Laura in the drawing-room, and that Lady Laura had said a few words to him.  He was more determined than ever that he would hate Mr. Kennedy, and would probably have been moody and unhappy throughout the whole dinner had not Lady Laura called him to a chair at her left hand.  It was very generous of her; and the more so, as Mr. Kennedy had, in a half-hesitating manner, prepared to seat himself in that very place.  As it was, Phineas and Mr. Kennedy were neighbours, but Phineas had the place of honour.

“I suppose you will not speak during the debate?” said Lady Laura.

“Who?  I?  Certainly not.  In the first place, I could not get a hearing, and, in the next place, I should not think of commencing on such an occasion.  I do not know that I shall ever speak at all.”

“Indeed you will.  You are just the sort of man who will succeed with the House.  What I doubt is, whether you will do as well in office.”

“I wish I might have the chance.”

“Of course you can have the chance if you try for it.  Beginning so early, and being on the right side,—­and, if you will allow me to say so, among the right set,—­there can be no doubt that you may take office if you will.  But I am not sure that you will be tractable.  You cannot begin, you know, by being Prime Minister.”

“I have seen enough to realise that already,” said Phineas.

“If you will only keep that little fact steadily before your eyes, there is nothing you may not reach in official life.  But Pitt was Prime Minister at four-and-twenty, and that precedent has ruined half our young politicians.”

“It has not affected me, Lady Laura.”

“As far as I can see, there is no great difficulty in government.  A man must learn to have words at command when he is on his legs in the House of Commons, in the same way as he would if he were talking to his own servants.  He must keep his temper; and he must be very patient.  As far as I have seen Cabinet Ministers, they are not more clever than other people.”

“I think there are generally one or two men of ability in the Cabinet.”

“Yes, of fair ability.  Mr. Mildmay is a good specimen.  There is not, and never was, anything brilliant in him.  He is not eloquent, nor, as far as I am aware, did he ever create anything.  But he has always been a steady, honest, persevering man, and circumstances have made politics come easy to him.”

“Think of the momentous questions which he has been called upon to decide,” said Phineas.

“Every question so handled by him has been decided rightly according to his own party, and wrongly according to the party opposite.  A political leader is so sure of support and so sure of attack, that it is hardly necessary for him to be even anxious to be right.  For the country’s sake, he should have officials under him who know the routine of business.”