第73章

He understood clearly that though they were gathered together then at Gatherum Castle for festive purposes, yet that no time was unfit for the discussion of State matters.Does not all the world know that when in autumn the Bismarcks of the world, or they who are bigger than Bismarcks, meet at this or that delicious haunt of salubrity, the affairs of the world are then settled in little conclaves, with greater ease, rapidity, and certainty than in large parliaments or the dull chambers of public offices? Emperor meets Emperor, and King meets King, and as they wander among rural glades in fraternal intimacy, wars are arranged, and swelling territories are enjoyed in anticipation.

Sir Orlando hitherto had known all this, but hardly as yet enjoyed it.He had been long in office, but these sweet confidences can of their very nature belong only to a very few.

But now the time had manifestly come.

It was Sunday afternoon, and Sir Orlando caught the Duke in the very act of leaving the house for his walk.There was no archery, and many of the inmates of the Castle were asleep.

There had been a question as to the propriety of Sabbath archery, in discussing which reference had been made to Laud's book of sports, and the growing idea that the National Gallery should be opened on the Lord's-day.But the Duchess would not have the archery.'We are just the people who shouldn't prejudge the question,' said the Duchess.The Duchess with various ladies, with the Pountneys and Gunners, and other obedient male followers, had been to church.None of the Ministers had of course been able to leave the swollen pouches which are always sent out from London on Saturday night,--probably, we cannot but think,--as arranged excuses for such defalcation, and had passed their mornings comfortably dozing over new novels.The Duke, always right in his purpose but generally wrong in his practice, had stayed at home working all the morning, thereby scandalizing the strict, and had gone to church in the afternoon, thereby offending the social.The church was close to the house, and he had gone back to change his coat and hat, and to get his stick.

But as he was stealing our of the little side-gate, Sir Orlando was down upon him.'If your Grace is going for a walk, and will admit of company, I shall be delighted to attend you,' said Sir Orlando.The Duke professed himself to be well-pleased.He would be glad to increase his personal intimacy with his colleague if it might be done pleasantly.

They had gone nearly a mile across the park, watching the stately movements of the herds of deer, and talking of this and that trifle, before Sir Orlando could bring about an opportunity for uttering his word.At last, he did it somewhat abruptly.'Ithink upon the whole we did pretty well this Session,' he said, standing still under an old oak-tree.

'Pretty well,' re-echoed the Duke.

'And I suppose we have not much to afraid of next Session?'

'I am afraid of nothing,' said the Duke.

'But--;' then Sir Orlando hesitated.The Duke, however, said not a word to help him on.Sir Orlando thought that the Duke looked more ducal than he had ever seen him look before.Sir Orlando remembered the old Duke, and suddenly found that the uncle and nephew were very like each other.But it does not become the leader of the House of Commons to be afraid of anyone.'Don't you think,' continued Sir Orlando, 'we should try and arrange among ourselves something of a policy? I am not quite sure that a ministry without a distinct course of action before it can long enjoy the confidence of the country.Take the last half century.

There have been various policies, commanding more or less of general assent; free trade--.' Here Sir Orlando gave a kindly wave of his hand, showing that on behalf of a companion he was willing to place at the head of the list a policy which had not always commanded his own assent;--'continued reform in Parliament, to which I have, with my whole heart, given my poor assistance.' The Duke remembered how the bathers' clothes were stolen, and that Sir Orlando had been one of the most nimble-fingered of thieves.'No popery, Irish grievances, the ballot, retrenchment, efficiency of the public service, all have had their time.'

'Things to be done offer themselves, I suppose, because they are in themselves desirable; not because it is desirable to have something to do.'

'Just so;--no doubt.But still, if you will think of it, no ministry can endure without a policy.During the latter part of the last Session, it was understood that we had to get ourselves in harness together, and nothing more was expected from us; but Ithink we should be prepared with a distinct policy for the coming year.I fear that nothing can be done in Ireland.'

'Mr Finn has ideas--'

'Ah, yes,--well, your Grace.Mr Finn is a very clever young man certainly; but I don't think we can support ourselves by his plan of Irish reform.' Sir Orlando had been a little carried away by his own eloquence and the Duke's tameness, and had interrupted the Duke.The Duke again looked ducal, but on this occasion Sir Orlando did not observe his countenance.'For myself, I think, Iam in favour of increased armaments.I have been applying my mind to the subject, and I think I see that the people of this country do not object to a slightly rising scale of estimates in that direction.Of course there is the county suffrage--'

'I will think of what you have been saying,' said the Duke.

'As to the county suffrage--'

'I will think it over,' said the Duke.'You see the oak.That is the largest tree we have here at Gatherum; and I doubt whether there be a larger one in this part of England.' The Duke's voice and words were not uncourteous, but there was something in them which hindered Sir Orlando from referring again on that occasion to county suffrages or increased armaments.