Meantime, old sources of trouble beginning to reopen,[96] a conversation ensued between Lord Hardwicke and myself relative to the division of duties. He again expressed a desire to place matters on a more satisfactory footing, but appeared to have a notion that Colonel Maberly's authority must be in some degree superior to mine. "There cannot," said he, "be two kings in Brentford;" and on my pointing out that in the Treasury and other departments there were two secretaries of equal authority, he replied, "If you are to be joint secretaries, I'll make you shake hands and sit in the same room." How far harmony would have been improved by compulsory association I am not able to determine, as the experiment was never tried. The conversation continued as follows:-- "He again spoke in strong terms of the value of my services, and proceeded in so open and unreserved a manner that I thought it best to tell him of the conditions under which I accepted office, and of the manner in which the late Government had from time to time postponed the fulfilment of its engagements. My statement produced an evident effect on Lord Hardwicke. He said he was very glad I had communicated these facts to him; that he should consider what I had said confidential, though he should probably speak to Lord Derby on the subject." I had the more hope of his intercession in my favour because I found that he was intimate with Mr. Warburton, of whom he spoke in the highest possible terms. The hope, however, was soon crushed:-- "_April 13th._--Warburton came into my room before seeing the Postmaster-General [the appointment had been made by me with his lordship's sanction], but, as he thought it better not to come up again, I arranged to call upon him in the evening, when I found that, although the Postmaster-General had spoken well of me, Warburton has no hope whatever of his adopting any more decided course than a division of duties between Maberly and myself; so that chance is gone."