Lord Silverbridge remained in the Brake country till a few days before the meeting of Parliament, and had he been left to himself he would have had another week in the country and might probably have overstayed the opening day; but he had not been left to himself. In the last week in January an important despatch reached his hands, from no less important person than Sir Timothy Beeswax, suggesting to him that he should undertake the duty of seconding the address in the House of Commons. When the proposition first reached him it made his hair stand on end. He had never yet risen to his feet in the House. He had spoken at those election meetings in Cornwall, and had found it easy enough. After the first or second time he had thought it good fun. But he knew that standing up in the House of Commons would be different from that. Then there would be the dress! 'I should so hate to fig myself out and look like a guy,' he said to Tregear, to whom of course he confided the offer that was made to him. Tregear was very anxious that he should accept it. 'A man should never refuse anything of that kind which comes his way,' Tregear said.
'It is only because I am the governor's son,' Silverbridge pleaded.
'Partly so perhaps. But if it be altogether so, what of that? Take the goods the gods provide you. Of course all these things which our ambition coverts are easier to Duke's sons than to others. But not on that account should a Duke's son refuse them. A man when he sees a rung vacant on the ladder should always put his foot there.'
'I'll tell you what,' said Silverbridge. 'If I thought this was all fair sailing I'd do it. I should feel certain that I should come a cropper, but still I'd try it. As you say, a fellow should try. But it's all meant as a blow at the governor. Old Beeswax thinks that if he can get me up to swear that he and his crew are real first-chop hands, that will hit the governor hard. It's as much as saying to the governor,--"This chap belongs to me, not to you." That's a thing I won't go in for.' Then Tregear counselled him to write to his father for advice, and at the same time ask Sir Timothy to allow him a day or two for consideration. This counsel he took. His letter reached his father two days before he left Matching. In answer to it there came first a telegram begging Silverbridge to be in London on the Monday, and then a letter, in which the Duke expressed himself as being anxious to see his son before giving a final answer to the question. Thus it was that Silverbridge had been taken away from his hunting.
Isabel Boncassen, however, was now in London, and from her it was possible that he might find consolation. He had written to her soon after reaching Harrington, telling her that he had had it all out with the governor. 'There is a good deal that I can only tell you when I see you,' he said. Then he assured her with many lover's protestations that he was and always would be till death altogether her own most loving S. To this he had received an answer by return of post. She would be delighted to see him up in town,--as would her father and mother. They had now got a comfortable house in Brook Street. And then she signed herself his sincere friend, Isabel. Silverbridge thought that it was cold, and remembered certain scraps of another feminine handwriting in which more passion was expressed. Perhaps this was the way with American young ladies when they were in love.
'Yes,' said the Duke, 'I am glad that you have come up at once, as Sir Timothy should have his answer without further delay.'
'But what shall I say?'
The Duke, though he had already considered the matter very seriously, nevertheless took a few minutes to consider it again.
'The offer,' said he, 'must be acknowledged as very flattering.'
'But the circumstances are not usual.'
'It cannot often be the case that a minister should ask the son of his keenest political opponent to render him such a service. But, however, we will put that aside.'
'Not quite, sir.'
'For the present we will put that on one side. Not looking at the party which you may be called upon to support, having for the moment no regard to this or that line in politics, there is no opening to the real duties of parliamentary life which I would sooner see accorded to you than this.'
'But if I were to break down?' Talking to his father he could not quite venture to ask what might happen if he were to 'come a cropper'.
'None but the brave deserve the fair,' said the Duke slapping his hands upon the table. 'Why, if "We fail, we fail! But screw your courage to the sticking place, And we'll not fail." What high point would ever be reached if caution such as that were allowed to prevail? What young men have done before cannot you do? I have no doubt of your capacity. None.'
'Haven't you, sir,' said Silverbridge, considerably gratified,--and also surprised.
'None in the least. But, perhaps, some of your diligence.'
'I could learn it by heart, sir,--if you mean that.'
'But I don't mean that; or rather I mean much more than that. You have first to realise in your mind the thing to be said, and then the words in which you should say it, before you come to learning by heart.'
'Some of them I suppose would tell me what to say.'
