Phineas Redux

  CHAPTER XXXIV.

  THE UNIVERSE.

  Before the House met again the quidnuncs about the clubs, on bothsides of the question, had determined that Mr. Gresham's speech,whether good or not as an effort of oratory, would serve its intendedpurpose. He would be backed by a majority of votes, and it mighthave been very doubtful whether such would have been the case hadhe attempted to throw out the Bill on its merits. Mr. Ratler, bythe time that prayers had been read, had become almost certain ofsuccess. There were very few Liberals in the House who were notanxious to declare by their votes that they had no confidence in Mr.Daubeny. Mr. Turnbull, the great Radical, and, perhaps, some twodozen with him, would support the second reading, declaring that theycould not reconcile it with their consciences to record a vote infavour of a union of Church and State. On all such occasions as thepresent Mr. Turnbull was sure to make himself disagreeable to thosewho sat near to him in the House. He was a man who thought that somuch was demanded of him in order that his independence might bedoubted by none. It was nothing to him, he was wont to say, whocalled himself Prime Minister, or Secretary here, or President there.But then there would be quite as much of this independence on theConservative as on the Liberal side of the House. Surely there wouldbe more than two dozen gentlemen who would be true enough to thecherished principles of their whole lives to vote against such a Billas this! It was the fact that there were so very few so true whichadded such a length to the faces of the country parsons. Six monthsago not a country gentleman in England would have listened to such aproposition without loud protests as to its revolutionary wickedness.And now, under the sole pressure of one man's authority, the subjecthad become so common that men were assured that the thing would bedone even though of all things that could be done it were the worst."It is no good any longer having any opinion upon anything," oneparson said to another, as they sat together at their club withtheir newspapers in their hands. "Nothing frightens any one,--noinfidelity, no wickedness, no revolution. All reverence is at an end,and the Holy of Holies is no more even to the worshipper than thethreshold of the Temple." Though it became known that the Bill wouldbe lost, what comfort was there in that, when the battle was to bewon, not by the chosen Israelites to whom the Church with all itsappurtenances ought to be dear, but by a crew of Philistines whowould certainly follow the lead of their opponents in destroying theholy structure?

  On the Friday the debate was continued with much life on theMinisterial side of the House. It was very easy for them to cryFaction! Faction! and hardly necessary for them to do more. A fewparrot words had been learned as to the expediency of fitting thegreat and increasing Church of England to the growing necessity ofthe age. That the CHURCH OF ENGLAND would still be the CHURCH OFENGLAND was repeated till weary listeners were sick of the unmeaningwords. But the zeal of the combatants was displayed on that otherquestion. Faction was now the avowed weapon of the leaders ofthe so-called Liberal side of the House, and it was very easy todenounce the new doctrine. Every word that Mr. Gresham had spokenwas picked in pieces, and the enormity of his theory was exhibited.He had boldly declared to them that they were to regard men and notmeasures, and they were to show by their votes whether they wereprepared to accept such teaching. The speeches were, of course, madeby alternate orators, but the firing from the Conservative bencheswas on this evening much the louder.

  It would have seemed that with such an issue between them they mightalmost have consented to divide after the completion of the two greatspeeches. The course on which they were to run had been explainedto them, and it was not probable that any member's intention as tohis running would now be altered by anything that he might hear. Mr.Turnbull's two dozen defaulters were all known, and the two dozen andfour true Conservatives were known also. But, nevertheless, a greatmany members were anxious to speak. It would be the great debateof the Session, and the subject to be handled,--that, namely, ofthe general merits and demerits of the two political parties,--waswide and very easy. On that night it was past one o'clock when Mr.Turnbull adjourned the House.

  "I'm afraid we must put you off till Tuesday," Mr. Ratler said on theSunday afternoon to Phineas Finn.

  "I have no objection at all, so long as I get a fair place on thatday."

  "There shan't be a doubt about that. Gresham particularly wants youto speak, because you are pledged to a measure of disestablishment.You can insist on his own views,--that even should such a measure beessentially necessary--"

  "Which I think it is," said Phineas.

  "Still it should not be accepted from the old Church-and-Stateparty."

  There was something pleasant in this to Phineas Finn,--something thatmade him feel for the moment that he had perhaps mistaken the bearingof his friend towards him. "We are sure of a majority, I suppose," hesaid.

  "Absolutely sure," said Ratler. "I begin to think it will amount tohalf a hundred,--perhaps more."

  "What will Daubeny do?"

  "Go out. He can't do anything else. His pluck is certainly wonderful,but even with his pluck he can't dissolve again. His Church Bill hasgiven him a six months' run, and six months is something."

  "Is it true that Grogram is to be Chancellor?" Phineas asked thequestion, not from any particular solicitude as to the prospectsof Sir Gregory Grogram, but because he was anxious to hear whetherMr. Ratler would speak to him with anything of the cordiality offellowship respecting the new Government. But Mr. Ratler became atonce discreet and close, and said that he did not think that anythingas yet was known as to the Woolsack. Then Phineas retreated againwithin his shell, with a certainty that nothing would be done forhim.

  And yet to whom could this question of place be of such vitalimportance as it was to him? He had come back to his old haunts fromIreland, abandoning altogether the pleasant safety of an assuredincome, buoyed by the hope of office. He had, after a fashion, madehis calculations. In the present disposition of the country it was,he thought, certain that the Liberal party must, for the next twentyyears, have longer periods of power than their opponents; and he hadthought also that were he in the House, some place would eventuallybe given to him. He had been in office before, and had beenespecially successful. He knew that it had been said of him that ofthe young debutants of latter years he had been the best. He had lefthis party by opposing them; but he had done so without creating anyill-will among the leaders of his party,--in a manner that had beenregarded as highly honourable to him, and on departing had receivedexpressions of deep regret from Mr. Gresham himself. When BarringtonErle had wanted him to return to his old work, his own chief doubthad been about the seat. But he had been bold and had adventured all,and had succeeded. There had been some little trouble about thosepledges given at Tankerville, but he would be able to turn them evento the use of his party. It was quite true that nothing had beenpromised him; but Erle, when he had written, bidding him to come overfrom Ireland, must have intended him to understand that he would beagain enrolled in the favoured regiment, should he be able to showhimself as the possessor of a seat in the House. And yet,--yet hefelt convinced that when the day should come it would be to him aday of disappointment, and that when the list should appear his namewould not be on it. Madame Goesler had suggested to him that Mr.Bonteen might be his enemy, and he had replied by stating that hehimself hated Mr. Bonteen. He now remembered that Mr. Bonteen hadhardly spoken to him since his return to London, though there had notin fact been any quarrel between them. In this condition of mind helonged to speak openly to Barrington Erle, but he was restrained bya feeling of pride, and a still existing idea that no candidate foroffice, let his claim be what it might, should ask for a place. Onthat Sunday evening he saw Bonteen at the club. Men were going in andout with that feverish excitement which always prevails on the eve ofa great parliamentary change. A large majority against the Governmentwas considered to be certain; but there was an idea abroad thatMr. Daubeny had some scheme in his head by which to confute theimmediate purport of his enemies. There was nothing to which theaudacity of the
man was not equal. Some said that he would dissolvethe House,--which had hardly as yet been six months sitting.Others were of opinion that he would simply resolve not to vacatehis place,--thus defying the majority of the House and all theministerial traditions of the country. Words had fallen from himwhich made some men certain that such was his intention. That itshould succeed ultimately was impossible. The whole country wouldrise against him. Supplies would be refused. In every detail ofGovernment he would be impeded. But then,--such was the temper ofthe man,--it was thought that all these horrors would not deter him.There would be a blaze and a confusion, in which timid men woulddoubt whether the constitution would be burned to tinder or onlyilluminated; but that blaze and that confusion would be dear toMr. Daubeny if he could stand as the centre figure,--the greatpyrotechnist who did it all, red from head to foot with the glare ofthe squibs with which his own hands were filling all the spaces. Theanticipation that some such display might take place made men busyand eager; so that on that Sunday evening they roamed about fromone place of meeting to another, instead of sitting at home withtheir wives and daughters. There was at this time existing a smallclub,--so called though unlike other clubs,--which had entitleditself the Universe. The name was supposed to be a joke, as it waslimited to ninety-nine members. It was domiciled in one simple andsomewhat mean apartment. It was kept open only one hour before andone hour after midnight, and that only on two nights of the week,and that only when Parliament was sitting. Its attractions were notnumerous, consisting chiefly of tobacco and tea. The conversation wasgenerally listless and often desultory; and occasionally there wouldarise the great and terrible evil of a punster whom every one hatedbut no one had life enough to put down. But the thing had been asuccess, and men liked to be members of the Universe. Mr. Bonteen wasa member, and so was Phineas Finn. On this Sunday evening the clubwas open, and Phineas, as he entered the room, perceived that hisenemy was seated alone on a corner of a sofa. Mr. Bonteen was not aman who loved to be alone in public places, and was apt rather tomake one of congregations, affecting popularity, and always at workincreasing his influence. But on this occasion his own greatness hadprobably isolated him. If it were true that he was to be the newChancellor of the Exchequer,--to ascend from demi-godhead to theperfect divinity of the Cabinet,--and to do so by a leap which wouldmake him high even among first-class gods, it might be well forhimself to look to himself and choose new congregations. Or, atleast, it would be becoming that he should be chosen now instead ofbeing a chooser. He was one who could weigh to the last ounce theimportance of his position, and make most accurate calculations asto the effect of his intimacies. On that very morning Mr. Greshamhad suggested to him that in the event of a Liberal Government beingformed, he should hold the high office in question. This, perhaps,had not been done in the most flattering manner, as Mr. Gresham haddeeply bewailed the loss of Mr. Palliser, and had almost demanded apledge from Mr. Bonteen that he would walk exactly in Mr. Palliser'sfootsteps;--but the offer had been made, and could not be retracted;and Mr. Bonteen already felt the warmth of the halo of perfectdivinity.

  There are some men who seem to have been born to be CabinetMinisters,--dukes mostly, or earls, or the younger sons of such,--whohave been trained to it from their very cradles, and of whom we mayimagine that they are subject to no special awe when they firstenter into that august assembly, and feel but little personalelevation. But to the political aspirant not born in the purple ofpublic life, this entrance upon the counsels of the higher deitiesmust be accompanied by a feeling of supreme triumph, dashed byconsiderable misgivings. Perhaps Mr. Bonteen was revelling in histriumph;--perhaps he was anticipating his misgivings. Phineas, thoughdisinclined to make any inquiries of a friend which might seem torefer to his own condition, felt no such reluctance in regard toone who certainly could not suspect him of asking a favour. He waspresumed to be on terms of intimacy with the man, and he took hisseat beside him, asking some question as to the debate. Now Mr.Bonteen had more than once expressed an opinion among his friendsthat Phineas Finn would throw his party over, and vote with theGovernment. The Ratlers and Erles and Fitzgibbons all knew thatPhineas was safe, but Mr. Bonteen was still in doubt. It suited himto affect something more than doubt on the present occasion. "Iwonder that you should ask me," said Mr. Bonteen.

  "What do you mean by that?"

  "I presume that you, as usual, will vote against us."

  "I never voted against my party but once," said Phineas, "and then Idid it with the approbation of every man in it for whose good opinionI cared a straw." There was insult in his tone as he said this, andsomething near akin to insult in his words.

  "You must do it again now, or break every promise that you made atTankerville."

  "Do you know what promise I made at Tankerville? I shall break nopromise."

  "You must allow me to say, Mr. Finn, that the kind of independencewhich is practised by you and Mr. Monk, grand as it may be on thepart of men who avowedly abstain from office, is a little dangerouswhen it is now and again adopted by men who have taken place. I liketo be sure that the men who are in the same boat with me won't takeit into their heads that their duty requires them to scuttle theship." Having so spoken, Mr. Bonteen, with nearly all the grace of afull-fledged Cabinet Minister, rose from his seat on the corner ofthe sofa and joined a small congregation.

  Phineas felt that his ears were tingling and that his face was red.He looked round to ascertain from the countenances of others whetherthey had heard what had been said. Nobody had been close to them, andhe thought that the conversation had been unnoticed. He knew now thathe had been imprudent in addressing himself to Mr. Bonteen, thoughthe question that he had first asked had been quite commonplace. Asit was, the man, he thought, had been determined to affront him,and had made a charge against him which he could not allow to passunnoticed. And then there was all the additional bitterness in itwhich arose from the conviction that Bonteen had spoken the opinionof other men as well as his own, and that he had plainly indicatedthat the gates of the official paradise were to be closed against thepresumed offender. Phineas had before believed that it was to be so,but that belief had now become assurance. He got up in his misery toleave the room, but as he did so he met Laurence Fitzgibbon. "Youhave heard the news about Bonteen?" said Laurence.

  "What news?"

  "He's to be pitchforked up to the Exchequer. They say it's quitesettled. The higher a monkey climbs--; you know the proverb." Sosaying Laurence Fitzgibbon passed into the room, and Phineas Finntook his departure in solitude.

  And so the man with whom he had managed to quarrel utterly was to beone in the Cabinet, a man whose voice would probably be potential inthe selection of minor members of the Government. It seemed to him tobe almost incredible that such a one as Mr. Bonteen should be chosenfor such an office. He had despised almost as soon as he had knownMr. Bonteen, and had rarely heard the future manager of the financeof the country spoken of with either respect or regard. He hadregarded Mr. Bonteen as a useful, dull, unscrupulous politician, wellaccustomed to Parliament, acquainted with the bye-paths and backdoors of official life,--and therefore certain of employment whenthe Liberals were in power; but there was no one in the party he hadthought less likely to be selected for high place. And yet this manwas to be made Chancellor of the Exchequer, while he, Phineas Finn,very probably at this man's instance, was to be left out in the cold.

  He knew himself to be superior to the man he hated, to have higherideas of political life, and to be capable of greater politicalsacrifices. He himself had sat shoulder to shoulder with many menon the Treasury Bench whose political principles he had not greatlyvalued; but of none of them had he thought so little as he had doneof Mr. Bonteen. And yet this Mr. Bonteen was to be the new Chancellorof the Exchequer! He walked home to his lodgings in MarlboroughStreet, wretched because of his own failure;--doubly wretched becauseof the other man's success.

  He laid awake half the night thinking of the words that had beenspoken to him, and after breakfast on
the following morning he wrotethe following note to his enemy:--

  House of Commons, 5th April, 18--.

  DEAR MR. BONTEEN,

  It is matter of extreme regret to me that last night at the Universe I should have asked you some chance question about the coming division. Had I guessed to what it might have led, I should not have addressed you. But as it is I can hardly abstain from noticing what appeared to me to be a personal charge made against myself with a great want of the courtesy which is supposed to prevail among men who have acted together. Had we never done so my original question to you might perhaps have been deemed an impertinence.

  As it was, you accused me of having been dishonest to my party, and of having "scuttled the ship." On the occasion to which you alluded I acted with much consideration, greatly to the detriment of my own prospects,--and as I believed with the approbation of all who knew anything of the subject. If you will make inquiry of Mr. Gresham, or Lord Cantrip who was then my chief, I think that either will tell you that my conduct on that occasion was not such as to lay me open to reproach. If you will do this, I think that you cannot fail afterwards to express regret for what you said to me last night.

  Yours sincerely,

  PHINEAS FINN.

  Thos. Bonteen, Esq., M.P.

  He did not like the letter when he had written it, but he did notknow how to improve it, and he sent it.