‘A second horse out hunting is a comfort,’ said Silverbridge.

’Then at any rate don’t desire a third for show.  But such comforts will cease to be joys when they become matters of course.  That a boy who does not see a pudding once a year should enjoy a pudding when it comes I can understand; but the daily pudding, or the pudding twice a day, is soon no more than a simple daily bread,—­ which will or will not be sweet as it shall or shall not have been earned.’  Then he went slowly to the door, but, as he stood with the handle of it in his hand, he turned round and spoke another word.  ’When, hereafter, Gerald, you may chance to think of that bread and cheese at Ely, always remember that you had skated from Cambridge.’

The two brothers then took themselves to some remote part of the house where arrangements had been made for smoking, and there they finished the conversation.  ’I was very glad to hear what he said about you, old boy.’  This of course came from Silverbridge.

‘I didn’t quite understand him.’

’He meant you to understand that you wouldn’t be like other younger brothers.’

‘Then what I have will be taken from you.’

’There is lots for three or four of us.  I do agree that a fellow has as much as he can spend he ought not to want anything more.  Morton was telling me the other day something about the settled estates.  I sat in that office with him all one morning.  I could not understand it all, but I observed that he said nothing about the Scotch property.  You’ll be a laird, and I wish you joy with all my heart.  The governor will tell you all about it before long.  He’s going to have two eldest sons.’

‘What an unnatural piece of cruelty to me;—­and so unnecessary!’

‘Why?’

’He says that a property is no better than a burden.  But I’ll try and bear it.’

CHAPTER 26

Dinner at the Beargarden

The Duke was in the gallery of the House of Commons which is devoted to the use of peers, and Silverbridge having heard that his father was there, had come up to him.  It was then about half-past five, and the House had settled down to business.  Prayers had been read, petitions had been presented, and Ministers had gone through their course of baiting with that equanimity and air of superiority which always belongs to a well-trained occupant of the Treasury bench.

The Duke was very anxious that his son should attend to his parliamentary duties, but he was too proud a man and too generous to come to the House as a spy.  It was his present habit always to be in his own place when the Lords were sitting, and to remain there while the Lords sat. it was not, for many reasons, an altogether satisfactory occupation, but it was the best which his life afforded him.  He would never, however, come across into the other House, without letting his son know of his coming, and Lord Silverbridge had on this occasion been on the look out, and had come up to his father at once.  ‘Don’t let me take you away,’ said the Duke, ’if you are particularly interested in your Chief’s defence,’ for Sir Timothy Beeswax was defending some measure of legal reform in which he was said to have fallen into trouble.