‘There isn’t a better Conservative in England than Percival,’ said Lady Mabel, bridling up.

‘Nor a worse son,’ said the father.  ’I believe he would do anything he could lay his hand on to oppose me.’  During the past week there had been some little difference of opinion between the father and the son as to the signing of a deed.

‘My father does not take it in bad part at all,’ said Silverbridge.

‘Perhaps he is ratting himself,’ said the Earl.  ’When a man lends himself to a coalition he is as good as half gone.’

’I do not think that in all England there is so thorough a Liberal as my father,’ said Lord Silverbridge.  ’And when I say that he doesn’t take this badly, I don’t mean that it doesn’t vex him.  I know it vexes him.  But he doesn’t quarrel with me, he even wrote to Barsetshire to say that all my expenses at Silverbridge were to be paid.’

‘I call that bad politics,’ said the Earl.

‘It seems to me to be very grand,’ said Frank.

’Perhaps, sir, you don’t know what is good or what is bad in politics,’ said the Earl, trying to snub his guest.

But it was difficult to snub Frank.  ’I know a gentleman when I see him, I think,’ he said.  ’Of course Silverbridge is right to be a Conservative.  Nobody has a stronger opinion about that than I have.  But the Duke is behaving so well that if I were he I should almost regret it.’

‘And so I do,’ said Silverbridge.

When the ladies were gone the old Earl turned himself round the fire, having filled his glass and pushed the bottles away from him, as though he meant to leave the two young men to themselves.  He sat leaning with his head on his hand, looking the picture of woe.  It was now only nine o’clock, and there would be no more whist at the Beaufort till eleven.  There was still more than a hour to be endured before the brougham would come to fetch him.  ’I suppose we shall have a majority,’ said Frank, trying to rouse him.

‘Who does “We” mean?’ asked the Earl.

’The Conservatives, of whom I take the liberty to call myself one.’

’It sounded as though you were a very influential member of the party.’

‘I consider myself to be one of the party, and so I say “We".’

Upstairs in the drawing-room Miss Cassewary did her duty loyally.  It was quite right that young ladies and young gentlemen should be allowed to talk together, and very right indeed that such a young gentleman as Lord Silverbridge should be allowed to talk so such a young lady as Lady Mabel.  What could be so nice as a marriage between the heir of the house of Omnium and Lady Mabel Grex?  Lady Mabel looked indeed to be the elder,—­but they were in truth the same age.  All the world acknowledged that Lady Mabel was very clever and very beautiful and fit to be a Duchess.  Even the Earl, when Miss Cassewary hinted at the matter to him, grunted an assent.  Lady Mabel had already refused one