His excellence in that position soon enlarged his duties to those of controller of the whole ducal household.

And thence, by degrees that were more imperceptible in the case of such a government than they could have been in a larger and more regularly administered state, Ward became the recognised, and nearly all-powerful head, manager, and ruler of the little Duchy of Lucca.

And I believe the strange promotion was much for the advantage of the Duke and of the Duke's subjects.

Ward, I take it, never robbed him or any one else.
And this eccentric specialty, the Duke, though he was no Solomon, had the wit to discover.

In his cups the ex-groom, ex-valet, was not reticent about his sovereign master, and his talk was not altogether of an edifying nature.