CHAPTER XXXI.
THE DUKE AND DUCHESS IN TOWN.
At the end of March the Duchess of Omnium, never more to be calledLady Glencora by the world at large, came up to London. TheDuke, though he was now banished from the House of Commons, wasnevertheless wanted in London; and what funereal ceremonies wereleft might be accomplished as well in town as at Matching Priory. Noold Ministry could be turned out and no new Ministry formed withoutthe assistance of the young Duchess. It was a question whether sheshould not be asked to be Mistress of the Robes, though those whoasked it knew very well that she was the last woman in England tohamper herself by dependence on the Court. Up to London they came;and, though of course they went into no society, the house in CarltonGardens was continually thronged with people who had some specialreason for breaking the ordinary rules of etiquette in their desireto see how Lady Glencora carried herself as Duchess of Omnium. "Doyou think she's altered much?" said Aspasia Fitzgibbon, an elderlyspinster, the daughter of Lord Claddagh, and sister of LaurenceFitzgibbon, member for one of the western Irish counties. "I don'tthink she was quite so loud as she used to be."
Mrs. Bonteen was of opinion that there was a change. "She was alwaysuncertain, you know, and would scratch like a cat if you offendedher."
"And won't she scratch now?" asked Miss Fitzgibbon.
"I'm afraid she'll scratch oftener. It was always a trick of hers topretend to think nothing of rank;--but she values her place as highlyas any woman in England."
This was Mrs. Bonteen's opinion; but Lady Baldock, who was present,differed. This Lady Baldock was not the mother, but the sister-in-lawof that Augusta Boreham who had lately become Sister Veronica John."I don't believe it," said Lady Baldock. "She always seems to me tobe like a great schoolgirl who has been allowed too much of her ownway. I think people give way to her too much, you know." As LadyBaldock was herself the wife of a peer, she naturally did not standso much in awe of a duchess as did Mrs. Bonteen, or Miss Fitzgibbon.
"Have you seen the young Duke?" asked Mr. Ratler of Barrington Erle.
"Yes; I have been with him this morning."
"How does he like it?"
"He's bothered out of his life,--as a hen would be if you were tothrow her into water. He's so shy, he hardly knows how to speak toyou; and he broke down altogether when I said something about theLords."
"He'll not do much more."
"I don't know about that," said Erle. "He'll get used to it, and gointo harness again. He's a great deal too good to be lost."
"He didn't give himself airs?"
"What!--Planty Pall! If I know anything of a man he's not the man todo that because he's a duke. He can hold his own against all comers,and always could. Quiet as he always seemed, he knew who he was, andwho other people were. I don't think you'll find much difference inhim when he has got over the annoyance." Mr. Ratler, however, wasof a different opinion. Mr. Ratler had known many docile members ofthe House of Commons who had become peers by the death of uncles andfathers, and who had lost all respect for him as soon as they werereleased from the crack of the whip. Mr. Ratler rather despised peerswho had been members of the House of Commons, and who passed byinheritance from a scene of unparalleled use and influence to one ofidle and luxurious dignity.
Soon after their arrival in London the Duchess wrote the followingvery characteristic letter:--
DEAR LORD CHILTERN,
Mr. Palliser-- [Then having begun with a mistake, she scratched the word through with her pen.] The Duke has asked me to write about Trumpeton Wood, as he knows nothing about it, and I know just as little. But if you say what you want, it shall be done. Shall we get foxes and put them there? Or ought there to be a special fox-keeper? You mustn't be angry because the poor old Duke was too feeble to take notice of the matter. Only speak, and it shall be done.
Yours faithfully,
GLENCORA O.
Madame Goesler spoke to me about it; but at that time we were in trouble.
The answer was as characteristic:--
DEAR DUCHESS OF OMNIUM,
Thanks. What is wanted, is that keepers should know that there are to be foxes. When keepers know that foxes are really expected, there always are foxes. The men latterly have known just the contrary. It is all a question of shooting. I don't mean to say a word against the late Duke. When he got old the thing became bad. No doubt it will be right now.
Faithfully yours,
CHILTERN.
Our hounds have been poisoned in Trumpeton Wood. This would never have been done had not the keepers been against the hunting.
Upon receipt of this she sent the letter to Mr. Fothergill, with arequest that there might be no more shooting in Trumpeton Wood. "I'llbe shot if we'll stand that, you know," said Mr. Fothergill to one ofhis underlings. "There are two hundred and fifty acres in TrumpetonWood, and we're never to kill another pheasant because Lord Chilternis Master of the Brake Hounds. Property won't be worth having at thatrate."
The Duke by no means intended to abandon the world of politics, oreven the narrower sphere of ministerial work, because he had beenousted from the House of Commons, and from the possibility of fillingthe office which he had best liked. This was proved to the worldby the choice of his house for a meeting of the party on the 30thof March. As it happened, this was the very day on which he andthe Duchess returned to London; but nevertheless the meeting washeld there, and he was present at it. Mr. Gresham then repeated hisreasons for opposing Mr. Daubeny's bill; and declared that even whiledoing so he would, with the approbation of his party, pledge himselfto bring in a bill somewhat to the same effect, should he ever againfind himself in power. And he declared that he would do this solelywith the view of showing how strong was his opinion that such ameasure should not be left in the hands of the Conservative party. Itwas doubted whether such a political proposition had ever before beenmade in England. It was a simple avowal that on this occasion menwere to be regarded, and not measures. No doubt such is the case, andever has been the case, with the majority of active politicians. Thedouble pleasure of pulling down an opponent, and of raising oneself,is the charm of a politician's life. And by practice this becomesextended to so many branches, that the delights,--and also thedisappointments,--are very widespread. Great satisfaction is feltby us because by some lucky conjunction of affairs our man, whom wenever saw, is made Lord-Lieutenant of a county, instead of anotherman, of whom we know as little. It is a great thing to us that SirSamuel Bobwig, an excellent Liberal, is seated high on the bench ofjustice, instead of that time-serving Conservative, Sir AlexanderMcSilk. Men and not measures are, no doubt, the very life ofpolitics. But then it is not the fashion to say so in public places.Mr. Gresham was determined to introduce that fashion on the presentoccasion. He did not think very much of Mr. Daubeny's Bill. Sohe told his friends at the Duke's house. The Bill was full offaults,--went too far in one direction, and not far enough inanother. It was not difficult to pick holes in the Bill. But thesin of sins consisted in this,--that it was to be passed, if passedat all, by the aid of men who would sin against their consciencesby each vote they gave in its favour. What but treachery could beexpected from an army in which every officer, and every private, wascalled upon to fight against his convictions? The meeting passedoff without dissension, and it was agreed that the House of Commonsshould be called upon to reject the Church Bill simply because itwas proposed from that side of the House on which the minority wassitting. As there were more than two hundred members present on theoccasion, by none of whom were any objections raised, it seemedprobable that Mr. Gresham might be successful. There was still,however, doubt in the minds of some men. "It's all very well," saidMr. Ratler, "but Turnbull wasn't there, you know."
But from what took place the next day but one in Park Lane it wouldalmost seem that the Duchess had been there. She came at once to seeMadame Goesler, having very firmly determined that the Duke's deathshould not have the appearance of interrupting
her intimacy with herfriend. "Was it not very disagreeable,"--asked Madame Goesler,--"justthe day you came to town?"
"We didn't think of that at all. One is not allowed to think ofanything now. It was very improper, of course, because of the Duke'sdeath;--but that had to be put on one side. And then it was quitecontrary to etiquette that Peers and Commoners should be broughttogether. I think there was some idea of making sure of Plantagenet,and so they all came and wore out our carpets. There wasn't above adozen peers; but they were enough to show that all the old landmarkshave been upset. I don't think any one would have objected if I hadopened the meeting myself, and called upon Mrs. Bonteen to secondme."
"Why Mrs. Bonteen?"
"Because next to myself she's the most talkative and political womanwe have. She was at our house yesterday, and I'm not quite sure thatshe doesn't intend to cut me out."
"We must put her down, Lady Glen."
"Perhaps she'll put me down now that we're half shelved. The men didmake such a racket, and yet no one seemed to speak for two minutesexcept Mr. Gresham, who stood upon my pet footstool, and kicked italmost to pieces."
"Was Mr. Finn there?"
"Everybody was there, I suppose. What makes you ask particularlyabout Mr. Finn?"
"Because he's a friend."
"That's come up again, has it? He's the handsome Irishman, isn't he,that came to Matching, the same day that brought you there?"
"He is an Irishman, and he was at Matching, that day."
"He's certainly handsome. What a day that was, Marie! When one thinksof it all,--of all the perils and all the salvations, how strangeit is! I wonder whether you would have liked it now if you were theDowager Duchess."
"I should have had some enjoyment, I suppose."
"I should have had some enjoyment, I suppose."]
"I don't know that it would have done us any harm, and yet how keen Iwas about it. We can't give you the rank now, and you won't take themoney."
"Not the money, certainly."
"Plantagenet says you'll have to take it;--but it seems to me he'salways wrong. There are so many things that one must do that onedoesn't do. He never perceives that everything gets changed everyfive years. So Mr. Finn is the favourite again?"
"He is a friend whom I like. I may be allowed to have a friend, Isuppose."
"A dozen, my dear;--and all of them good-looking. Good-bye, dear.Pray come to us. Don't stand off and make yourself disagreeable.We shan't be giving dinner parties, but you can come whenever youplease. Tell me at once;--do you mean to be disagreeable?"
Then Madame Goesler was obliged to promise that she would not be moredisagreeable than her nature had made her.