treasure in their endeavours to open to their own
footsteps. He tried hard to realise what he had
gained, but the dust and the noise and the crowds
and the want of something august to the eye were almost
too strong for him. He managed, however, to take
the oath early among those who took it, and heard
the Queen s speech read and the Address moved and
seconded. He was seated very uncomfortably, high
up on a back seat, between two men whom he did not
know; and he found the speeches to be very long.
He had been in the habit of seeing such speeches reported
in about a column, and he thought that these speeches
must take at least four columns each. He sat
out the debate on the Address till the House was adjourned,
and then he went away to dine at his club. He
did go into the dining-room of the House, but there
was a crowd there, and he found himself alone,—and
to tell the truth, he was afraid to order his dinner.
The nearest approach to a triumph which he had in
London came to him from the glory which his election
reflected upon his landlady. She was a kindly
good motherly soul, whose husband was a journeyman
law-stationer, and who kept a very decent house in
Great Marlborough Street. Here Phineas had lodged
since he had been in London, and was a great favourite.
“God bless my soul, Mr. Phineas,” said
she, “only think of your being a member of Parliament!”
“Yes, I’m a member of Parliament, Mrs.
Bunce.”
“And you’ll go on with the rooms the same
as ever? Well, I never thought to have a member
of Parliament in ’em.”
Mrs. Bunce really had realised the magnitude of the
step which her lodger had taken, and Phineas was grateful
to her.
Lady Laura Standish
Phineas, in describing Lady Laura Standish to Mary
Flood Jones at Killaloe, had not painted her in very
glowing colours. Nevertheless he admired Lady
Laura very much, and she was worthy of admiration.
It was probably the greatest pride of our hero’s
life that Lady Laura Standish was his friend, and
that she had instigated him to undertake the risk
of parliamentary life. Lady Laura was intimate
also with Barrington Erle, who was, in some distant
degree, her cousin; and Phineas was not without a
suspicion that his selection for Loughshane, from
out of all the young liberal candidates, may have
been in some degree owing to Lady Laura’s influence
with Barrington Erle. He was not unwilling that
it should be so; for though, as he had repeatedly
told himself, he was by no means in love with Lady
Laura,—who was, as he imagined, somewhat
older than himself,—nevertheless, he would
feel gratified at accepting anything from her hands,
and he felt a keen desire for some increase to those
ties of friendship which bound them together.
No;—he was not in love with Lady Laura
Standish. He had not the remotest idea of asking
her to be his wife. So he told himself, both
