ford to squander it in conversation; and Singleton, though very rich, prefers an occasional extravagance to a regular and uniform expenditure of wit: generally, I think he is very frugal, and sometimes almost niggardly, which I have observed him to be just before or after one of his displays of prodigality. Now, to-morrow there are to be great doings or rather sayings at the House, and the day following is the Beef-steak Club, so that I suppose he cannot afford to waste a single good thing to-day. Lenvy you on Saturday at the dinner, for I think Skeffington told me that you were chosen to the seat vacant by old Mr. Arkwright's retirement?"

"I was so fortunate," answered I. tending the debate to-morrow?"

"Then you purpose at

"Oh, certainly; I shall go with the Duchess's party. All the first-rates are expected to speak, I believe; you will do something, I hope?"."

"That will depend upon circumstances; at all events, I am not going down with a full-dress speech."

"But you wouldn't venture for the first time to get up without being prepared? Dear me! it must be a very nervous business! Suppose the flurry should cause you to forget what you had learned, or you should lose your self-possession and be unable to proceed? I am sure, if I were on my legs and felt myself failing, or breaking down as they call it, I should drop under the bench with shame and mortification."

66

Exactly so," said I, unconscious what I was saying, for my attention had been attracted to the Duchess of Claverton and Broughton, who, in a remote part of the room, were engaged in earnest conversation. She was at the time addressing him eagerly, and he listening attentively, but without betraying the slightest emotion. I easily divined the subject upon which the Duchess was importuning him. In the same direction, so as almost to screen them from the view of a person in my situation, was a large cluster of Brookes's men talking politics with great animation.

"I see," said Lady Skeffington, "that you are not minding a word I say, for you are wholly occupied by that knot of politicians. You are longing to join them, so pray don't suffer your politeness to make you endure the penance of staying here. Well, I do wish there was no such thing as politics." "What do I hear ?" cried I, for I had now recollected myself; "such a sentiment, and uttered in such a place!-what can it mean?"

"Why, because they engross all the best of your sex, leaving us only the refuse. This is the only house where one meets with male society in perfection; and even here, one can't be secure of it for five minutes: for if half-a-dozen of you cluster

together, that body is sure to attract, one after another, all the particles of mankind in the room."

"And if it be so," retorted I, "whom can you blame but yourselves? Are we not desired by you, when we come here, to bring our politics with us? Do you not deign to inquire into our proceedings, and even to employ in our service those elegant talents for intrigue in which you so peculiarly excel? What wonder, then, that we should be flattered and encouraged, when we find you thus identifying yourselves with our political interests ?"

"Now, is it possible that you suppose we seriously care one straw for you, considered as mere Whigs? Are you far and quick-sighted statesmen unable to perceive that we use politics only as a bait to allure you here? What would distinguish Claverton House above any other, if, like the rest, it excluded politics? Why, it would be nothing more than a place of fashionable resort; and instead of the brilliant persons which at present fill its rooms, they would be crowded by the wretched hacks of good society."

"But what do you say to the Duchess, and Mrs. Singleton, and Lady Eleanor Palmer? You will admit that they are absolute and sincere politicians?"

"Oh, I grant you that they are real Whigs. The Duchess of Claverton would, I verily believe, give the world to be a Member of Parliament, if it were possible. Charlotte Singleton, poor soul! though her motive may be less pure, is equally interested in the cause; for it is, I'm afraid, of importance to both of them that he should be in office; and dear Lady Eleanor is an enthusiast in the cause, for the sake of her husband, whom she thinks infallible,-and certainly he is a noble creature."

"I am sorry," said I, "that you have undeceived me. It was a very gratifying delusion that we numbered the most brilliant and beautiful of womankind among our partisans."

66

Nay," answered Lady Skeffington, "you should be rather still more gratified that the most brilliant and beautiful of womankind like your politics for yourselves, and not yourselves for your politics. However, though they cannot (how can you expect it?) feel interested in the details of your proceedings, yet they cordially wish you success, and would have you all prime-ministers, if possible. So I think that you have every reason to be flattered and satisfied."

My journal contains no more of this conversation, although it was continued some time longer. The governing passion of this charming person was vanity, which was twofold, namely, the love of conquest, and the love of shining. She was amply qualified for both. The latter was frequently employed in subserviency to the former, and as frequently acted on its own ac

count. Where vanity has the leadership, the character is a simple one; for the other affections are commonly weak, and frequently altogether dormant. Half an hour's conversation was, therefore, sufficient to make me well acquainted with Lady Skeffington.

CHAPTER XXI.

THE following morning I sent for Spencer, to inform him, that if he wished, I could procure his appointment to Mr. Broughton's private secretaryship. He accepted the offer with avidity: I persuaded him to reflect before he decided, and to calculate whether it would probably conduce more to his ultimate advantage to persevere uninterruptedly in his profession, or to accept of an office of which both the emolument and the prospect of rising which it afforded were very slight and precarious. But he would not pause to reason; he said that the very connection with Broughton was too alluring and promising to be resisted by a person with his views. I then advised him of the jealous character of Broughton, who was the last man in the world to promote the rise of merit. Spencer replied, that he would take care not to offend his self-love; but if, after a short time, he failed in gaining the regard of his patron, and found the situation unlikely to be productive of future benefit, he would return to his legal studies, which would not be materially injured by a short suspension. Finding that he was determined, I furnished him, with a note, with which he set off in high spirits to Broughton's residence in Whitehall-place.

In less than an hour he returned, and told me with great joy that everything was satisfactorily concluded. He had seen Mr. Broughton, who had questioned him in order to ascertain his abilities and acquirements, after which he desired him to take pen and paper, and gave him instructions from which he was to write a letter. When it was done he expressed himself pleased with the performance, and the despatch with which it was executed. He then engaged him at a salary of 2001. per annum, with apartments in his own house, and to enter immediately upon duty. Spencer was of course delighted with his new patron, whom he thought a truly great and extraordinary man. As soon as he had exhausted his panegyric, expressed his gratitude to me in warm terms for the introduction, and frequently congratulated himself upon his good fortune, the sanguine youth hurried away to make preparations for his change of quarters. For my own poor part, I sauntered away to Brookes's to learn the latest news previously to going to the House.

It had been decided by the leaders at Claverton House that we should try our strength this evening, by moving an amendment to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's motion for going into a Committee of Supply, which stood for the first order of the day.

At the club I found a strong muster of Whigs, and a rumour which had just arrived and was exciting commotion, that Ministers intended putting off the committee of supply.

"I don't believe a word of it," said Broughton; "to what purpose would they postpone it?"

"If they have got wind of our opposition, they may do so to annoy us," observed a member.

“Nonsense,” said Broughton, "that would be childish. However, some one had better go down to see what they are about and bring back word. Sydenham, you have nothing better to do, suppose you reconnoitre? By the way," said he to me apart, as I was about to obey his orders, "I am obliged to you for sending me that young man; he is a modest and intelligent lad, and will be useful to me; I suppose he has told you that I have engaged him?".

"He has, and most delighted is he with his good fortune; for, though you may have many superior, I assure you that you have no more devoted admirer than young Spencer."

This observation, though apparently unheeded by Broughton, was treasured up in his memory, and afterwards operated to the advantage of Edward.

I was accompanied to the House by Mr. Palmer, a distinguished member of our party, being as much revered for the nobility of his character as the superiority of his talents. We fell into conversation upon the subject of parties, and Palmer lamented the sad dearth of patriotism which they at present exhibited. "As for the Tories," said he, "one does not expect patriotism from them; for indeed they have never seriously pretended to anything of the sort; but now, among the Whigs, where one has been accustomed to look for it, it is rarely found. We have no master-spirit among us, and our leaders are each actuated by petty motives of personal ambition, and jealous of each other. Broughton knows that he wants the qualities which a leader should possess, and consequently he is peevishly tenacious of his privileges, and ever apprehensive of being rivalled and ousted from his position. Singleton knows himself to be a man of greater genius than Broughton; and, though utterly unfit, from his desultory habits and imperfect education, to take a first part, thinks himself wronged in acting under a man of inferior abilities. Lessingham bears an ancient and constant ill-will to Broughton, because by him he was pushed from the post of leader, which he once occupied, and reduced to a subordinate station

"I thought," interrupted I, "that Broughton had originally been a protegé of Lessingham, who had introduced him to the leadership, from which he voluntarily retired ?"

་

"Oh, not at all! Lessingham is much too ambitious a man to quit such a situation of his own accord. He was obliged to yield to Broughton; and it was only when he found it impossible to keep his post, that he retired with a good grace. But Lessingham is too prudent wantonly to betray his malevolence, and you only perceive it when it has an opportunity of injuring or annoying its object."

"You surprise me," said I; "I had regarded Lessingham rather as a philosophical than an active politician, and one who was comparatively indifferent to private interest."

"You have quite mistaken his character, then," said Palmer; "few can excel him in attachment to his personal interest, and proportionate indifference to every other. I will not say that he is now desirous of the leadership, on account of his advanced age, but nothing less than high office would satisfy him. He has done much injury to Broughton among our aristocrasy, not exactly in a direct way, but rather inferentially, by a slighting manner toward him. Broughton is well aware of this, but he has not the power to resent it, because such of our party as belong to, or are connected with the Upper House, are fond of Lessingham; who, though not one of themselves, has been bred up among them,-is supposed to be, (like myself,) a Whig of their views and feelings. On this account there has been always an under current against Broughton, who has been continually struggling to make himself absolute, but has never yet succeeded: for though his measures are generally adopted, and his advice listened to with apparent deference, yet he has not the command of the party, and so he will find if we ever come into office. Broughton's great ambition is to achieve a Reform in Parliament, which would immediately bring him to an issue with the great majority of the party; for though they have often used the question as an instrument of opposition, many of them see the mischief of such a measure, and all the aristocrasy have a conventional interest in resisting it."

"Anstruther's adhesion is likely to produce an alteration in our affairs," said I; "he is committed to eternal hostilities with the Parliamentary reformers: why may not he become leader? who can equal him in the qualifications for such an office?"

"Impossible!" returned Mr. Palmer; "would to God that he could! but now it is out of the question. The Whigs are too proud ever to be led by a deserter; besides, they cannot efface the impressions of ridicule which Anstruther's genius has frequently stamped upon their body. There will shortly