The doings of Gatherum Castle, and in Carlton Terrace, and at The Horns were watched much too closely by the world at large to allow such omissions to be otherwise than conspicuous.Since the commencement of the session there had been a series of articles in the "People's Banner" violently abusive of the Prime Minister, and in one or two of these the indecency of these exclusions had been exposed with great strength of language.And the Editor of the "People's Banner" had discovered that Sir Orlando Drought was the one man in Parliament fit to rule the nation.Till Parliament should discover this fact, or at least acknowledge it, --the discovery having been happily made by the "People's Banner",--the Editor of the "People's Banner" thought there could be no hope for the country.Sir Orlando of course saw all these articles, and his very heart believed that a man at length sprung up among them fit to conduct a newspaper.The Duke also unfortunately saw the "People's Banner".In his old happy days two papers a day, one in the morning and the other before dinner, sufficed to tell him all that he wanted to know.Now he felt it necessary to see almost every rag that was published.And he would skim through them all till he found lines in which he himself was maligned, and then, with sore heart and irritated nerves, would pause over every contumelious word.He would have bitten his tongue out rather that have spoken of the tortures he endured, but he was tortured and did endure.He knew the cause of the bitter personal attacks upon him,--of the abuse with which he was loaded, and of the ridicule, infinitely more painful to him, with which his wife's social splendour was bespattered.
He remembered well the attempt with which Mr Quintus Slide had made to obtain an entrance into his house, and his own scornful rejection of that gentleman's overtures.He knew,--no man knew better,--the real value of that able Editor's opinion.And yet every word of it was gall and wormwood to him.In every paragraph there was a scourge which hit him on the raw and opened the wounds which he could show to no kind surgeon, for which he could find solace in no friendly treatment.Not even to his wife could he condescend to say that Mr Quintus Slide had hurt him.
Then Sir Orlando had come himself.Sir Orlando explained himself gracefully.He of course could understand that no gentleman had a right to complain because he was not asked to another gentleman's house.But the affairs of the country were above private considerations; and he, actuated by public feelings, would condescend to do that which under other circumstances would be impossible.The public press, which was every vigilant, had suggested that there was some official estrangement, because Sir Orlando had not been included in the list of guests invited by His Grace.Did not his Grace think that there might be seeds of, --he would not quite say decay for the Coalition, in such a state of things? The Duke paused for a moment, and then said that he thought there were no such seeds.Sir Orlando bowed haughtily and withdrew,--swearing at that moment that the Coalition should be made to fall into a thousand shivers.This had all taken place a fortnight before the party at The Horns form which poor Mrs Lopez had been withdrawn so hastily.
But Sir Orlando, when he commenced the proceeding consequent on this resolution, did not find all that support which he had expected.Unfortunately there had been an uncomfortable word or two between him and Mr Roby, the political Secretary at the Admiralty.Mr Roby had never quite seconded Sir Orlando's ardour in the matter of the four ships, and Sir Orlando in his pride of place had ventured to snub Mr Roby.Now Mr Roby could perhaps bear a snubbing perhaps as well as any other official subordinate,--but he was one who would study the question and assure himself that it was, or that it was not, worth his while to bear it.He, too, had discussed with his friends the condition of the Coalition, and had come to some conclusions rather adverse to Sir Orlando than otherwise.When, therefore, the First Secretary sounded him as to the expediency of some step in the direction of a firmer political combination than at present existing,--by which of course was meant the dethronement of the present Prime Minister,--Mr Roby had snubbed him! Then there had been slight official criminations and recriminations, till a state of things had come to pass which almost justified the statement by the Duchess to Mrs Finn.
