"I had no idea there was so much pride about the Duke," Mr.
Boffin said to his old colleague, Sir Orlando.

"Is it pride ?" asked Sir Orlando.

"It may be shyness," said the wise Boffin.

"The two things are so alike you can never tell the difference.

But the man who is cursed by either should hardly be a Prime Minister." It was on the day after this that Sir Orlando thought that the moment had come in which it was his duty to say that salutary word to the Duke which it was clearly necessary that some colleague should say, and which no colleague could have so good a right to say as he who was the Leader of the House of Commons.