There was no doubt some among his older supporters who felt their thraldom previously.  There were some lords in the Upper House and some of the sons of lords in the Lower,—­with pedigrees going back far enough for pride,—­who found it irksome to recognise Sir Timothy as a master.  No doubt he had worked very hard, and had worked for them.  No doubt he knew how to do the work and they did not.  There was no other man among them to whom the lead could be conveniently transferred.  But yet they were uncomfortable,—­and perhaps a little ashamed.

It had arisen partly from this cause, that there had been something of a counter reaction at the last general election.  When the Houses met the Ministers had indeed a majority, but a much lessened majority.  The old Liberal constituencies had returned to an expression of their real feeling.  This reassertion of the progress of the tide, this recovery from the partial ebb which checks the violence of every flow, is common enough in politics, but at the present moment there were many who said that all this had been accelerated by a feeling in the country that Sir Timothy was hardly all that the country required as the leader of the county party.

CHAPTER 22

The Duke in his Study

It was natural that at such a time, when success greater than had been expected had attended the efforts of the Liberals, when some dozen unexpected votes had been acquired, the leading politicians of that party should have found themselves compelled to look about them and see how these good things might be utilised.  In February they certainly had not expected to be called to power in the course of the existing session.  Perhaps they did not expect it yet.  There was still a Conservative majority,—­though but a small majority.  But the strength of the minority consisted, not in the fact that the majority against them was small, but that it was decreasing.  How quickly does the snowball grow into hugeness as it is rolled on;—­but when the change comes in the weather how quickly does it melt, and before it is gone become a thing ugly, weak and formless!  Where is the individual who does not assert to himself that he would be more loyal to a falling than to a rising friend?  Such is perhaps the nature of each one of us.  But when any large number of men act together, the falling friend is apt to be deserted.  There was a general feeling among politicians that Lord Drummond’s ministry,—­or Sir Timothy’s—­was failing, and the Liberals, though they could not yet count the votes by which they might hope to be supported in power, nevertheless felt that they ought to be looking to their arms.