I have the honour to be, My Lord Duke, Your Grace's most obedient And very humble servant, QUINTUS SLIDE. The old Duke, when he had read the letter, laughed heartily. "Isn't that a terribly bad sign of the times?" said the younger. "Well;--hardly that, I think. The man is both a fool and a blackguard; but I don't think we are therefore to suppose that there are many fools and blackguards like him. I wonder what he really has wanted." "He has wanted me to ask him to Gatherum." "He can hardly have expected that. I don't think he can have been such a fool. He may have thought that there was a possible off chance, and that he would not lose even that for want of asking. Of course you won't notice it." "I have asked Warburton to write to him, saying that he cannot be received at my house. I have all letters answered unless they seem to have come from insane persons. Would it not shock you if your private arrangements were invaded in that way?" "He can't invade you." "Yes he can. He does. That is an invasion. And whether he is there or not, he can and will write about my house. And though no one else will make himself such a fool as he has done by his letter, nevertheless even that is a sign of what others are doing. You yourself were saying just now that we were going to do something,--something particular, you said." "It was your word, and I echoed it. I suppose you are going to have a great many people?" "I am afraid Glencora has overdone it. I don't know why I should trouble you by saying so, but it makes me uneasy." "I can't see why." "I fear she has got some idea into her head of astounding the world by display." "I think she has got an idea of conquering the world by graciousness and hospitality." "It is as bad. It is, indeed, the same thing. Why should she want to conquer what we call the world? She ought to want to entertain my friends because they are my friends; and if from my public position I have more so-called friends than would trouble me in a happier condition of private life, why, then, she must entertain more people. There should be nothing beyond that. The idea of conquering people, as you call it, by feeding them, is to me abominable. If it goes on it will drive me mad. I shall have to give up everything, because I cannot bear the burden." This he said with more excitement, with stronger passion, than his friend had ever seen in him before; so much so that the old Duke was frightened. "I ought never to have been where I am," said the Prime Minister, getting up from his chair and walking about the room. "Allow me to assure you that in that you are decidedly mistaken," said his Grace of St. Bungay. "I cannot make even you see the inside of my heart in such a matter as this," said his Grace of Omnium.