"Dearly beloved we are gathered together here in the sight of God and in the face of this congregation to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony, which be the honorable state instituted above in the time of man's innocency signifying unto us the mystical union" "that is betwixt Christ and His Church." "And therefore is not by any to be enterprised, nor taken in hand unadvisedly, lightly or wantonly, to satisfy men's carnal lusts and appetites like brute beasts that have no understanding." "First, it was ordained for the procreation of children to be brought up in the fear and nature of the laws and to the claims of His Holy Name." "Secondly, it was ordained for the remedy of the sin and to avoid fornication that the present as have not forgiven continency like marriage and keep themselves undefiled." "Plantagenet Richard Ricambreu Fitzvadam de Palliser Guy, wilt thou have this woman to thy wedded wife to live together after God's ordinance in the holy state of matrimony." "Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honor and keep her in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?" "I will." "Glencora Lennox Tolier McKennen Aurora May, wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy state of matrimony?" "Wilt thou obey him and serve him, love, honor and keep him in sickness and in health and forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him so long as ye both shall live..." "Glencora." "Glencora." "Glencora." "Glencora!" "I will." "I, Glencora," "I, Glencora, take thee, Plantagenet," " take thee, Plantagenet, - to my wedded husband, to my wedded husband, to have and to hold," " to have and to hold, - from this day forward, from this day forward," " for better, for worse, - for better, for worse," " for richer, for poorer - for richer, for poorer" " in sickness and in health, - in sickness and in health," " to love, cherish and to obey, - to love, cherish and to obey," " till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance," "" " And there, too, I give thee my troth." " With this ring I thee wed." " With this ring I thee wed." " With my body I thee worship." " With my body I thee worship." "And with all my worldly goods I thee endow." "And with all my worldly goods I thee endow." "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." " Amen." "Amen." " Let us...pray." "Oh, Dear God,...create us and preserve us with all mankind." "Give us thy spiritual grace, the author of everlasting life." "Shed they blessing upon these, thy servants." "This man and this woman..." "What now, Burgo?" "What indeed, George?" "I hear the happy couple are off to the continent." "Yes." "You know what, George?" "I'm thinking of taking a tour, myself." "Fighting to keep the end time down." "Quite the reverse." "Mountains, mountains..." "trees and mountains." "Oh, Plantagenet, I don't think I ever want to see a tree or a mountain again." "The natural landscape in Switzerland is judged to be the finest in Europe." "Yes, but there's so much of it." "Nothing at all that's made by man." "Well, nothing worth looking at, that is." "Well, take that church over there." "Have you ever seen anything so hideous?" "A church is not to be judged solely on its outward appearance." "What'cha suppose is inside it, Plantagenet?" "A lot of sour, stringy old Lutherans..." "or do I mean Calvinists?" "... thinking up new ways of preventing everyone's pleasure." "Oh, but it would really seem, Glencora, there is not pleasure for you anywhere at all." "Why in France, you said all the people had nasty and cruel faces." "In Italy you did nothing but complain that there were too many statues." "What nonsense, Mr. Palliser, I adored it." "And I'd give my very soul for one of those statues, one of those interesting ones..." "of a gladiator." "I'd set it up right in the middle of Geneva to annoy all the Calvinists." "And I assure you they would very soon pull it down again." "Well, then, I'd take it home as a present to shock my cousin Alice." "Huh." "She's coming to Switzerland, soon, with her father and cousin Kate." "And she's going to be joined by her new fiancé," "John Grey, ha, poor Alice." "Why, "Poor Alice?"" "But, Glencora, I have never met Mr. Grey, but I've read his essays in the Quarterly, with the greatest admiration." "Yes, but his face is as long as his essays, and he talks in small print, like from his own footnotes." "Still, he's sounds a good man to travel with in Switzerland." "Because with Mr. Grey around even the Swiss begin to seem attractive." "Here she is." "Oh, Alice, I'm so excited." " To be going to Switzerland at last." " Kate, dear." "Time to start." "I shall just have to do without you both for three months." "You'll do well enough." "Of course he will, with his clubs and his suppers and his chambers..." "And all the rest of his resources." "Goodbye, George." "Goodbye..." "Alice." " George." " Kate." "Take care of Alice." "If you're ready to carry on like this we shall take the whole of the three months to get to Dover." "Ah." "Oh, you are back, are you?" "Had a good walk?" "You should have come with us, Uncle John." "It would have given you an appetite." "Appetite for what?" "Ho-ho, Swiss cooking is as dull as their dogie faces." "Oh, the Swiss have other virtues, sir." "They themselves are modest and industrious, and their scenery makes for repose of the spirit." "You might not stay to be longer, Mr. Grey?" "And enjoy the reposal." "I must get back to Ely, Miss Vavasor." "There my orchards that never 'gainst to see to, and" "I have a long paper to prepare for the Society of Ancient Studies." "So, you will desert your bride-to-be for the Society for Ancient Studies?" "I leave her in good hands, Miss Kate." "Rather sticky ones at the moment." "I must get ready for dinner." "Hear!" "Hear!" "If that's what you can call it." "Still, I suppose we must keep up with the." "Alice." "Well, Alice,...we have a little question of home affairs to decide." "Not while we're still abroad, John." "But, I leave tomorrow." "And you'll be home again within a month." "We must fix our time, Alice." "You must." " Name your day." " Not yet." "Not just yet." "Alice, you don't...fear coming to me as my wife?" "No!" "Then how soon do you wish to come?" "A person may wish for a thing, and yet, not wish for it instantly." "Alice, I'm only asking you to chose" " your time..." " John, do not press me about this until I'm home again." "But by then it will be winter." "Time is going on, Alice." " For both of us, I think." " I cannot answer you now, Mr. Grey." "Indeed, I cannot." "Oh, John." "It is such a... solemn thing." "So this is Basle." "Basel bound." "Do French juveniles Swiss, Plantagenet?" "Much is a piece of all three." "Enough is a piece of all three judging from this hotel." "You'll feel much more cheerful when you're staying." "How long are we staying?" " Something over two weeks." "I have one or two important people I would like to call on." "Bankers." "Financial experts." "I did not suppose, Plantagenet, that you'd chosen Bâle for its romantic appeal." "Well, what d'you want from such a man, the buy-to-buy transactions?" "No, no, Glencora, no, I would simply wish to consult them about various methods of adapting their...their metric systems of currency for use in our income trade." "Metric systems?" "Well, there systems which are..." "are based on the number ten." "We can talk, Plantagenet, are usually based on the number two." "Two lovers equal one honeymoon." "But, I suppose with the metric system, one honeymoon equal ten Swiss bankers." "Oh well, so be it." "Hee-hoo." "Mr. Grey will be almost home, now." "Poor man..." "all alone in that house on the Fens." "He is very attached to it." "He will be content." "But how you must be missing him, Alice." "I shall have the rest of my life to spend with Mr. Grey." "But that is to say...would I..." "George!" " Ha!" " Huh-huh-huh." "What are you doing here?" "Walking through Switzerland." "But you said in London that Switzerland was a" " a wretched dull country." " Naa, not with you and Kate in it." "There's no one left in London." "I had some time on my hands so I thought, I'll go to Switzerland and surprise 'em." "And so you have." "Huh-huh-huh." "Ha, Is that all your luggage?" "Oh no, I sent the rest on ahead from Bern." "I wouldn't want to disgrace the party." "We have not yet asked you to join it." "Kate will if you don't." " With all my heart." "And now we'll go and find out about your luggage," " and get you a room." "She was devilish pleased to see me." "I'll lay my soul on that." "How was it between her and John Grey?" " Very steady." "He's an uncommonly handsome man." "Yeah." "In his way." "And very considerate." "John Grey, George, is the sort of man who ceases to exist the moment he goes out of the door." "And now he's gone out of it." "And I have come in." "Alice has got 400 a year and a capital of 10,000 pounds left to her by her mother at her own disposal." "I dare say you've come back too rich to bother about that." " Ho-ho-ho." "No one ever came back so rich he could turn up his nose at 10,000." "And if you ask me, George,..." "she's as handsome as ever she was when you were engaged to her five years ago." "Yes." "Trouble was then she expected too much." "She thought I was the immaculate Sir Galahad who was gonna bring her the Holy Grail." "Now, she's old enough to know there never was a grail, and what knights are made of under their shining armor." "What fine fellows those Alpine Club men do think of themselves." "But they're misguided." " Misguided, George?" " Mmm." "I would have thought you'd admire their courage." "Oh, I do." "I deprecate their lack of poetry." "They destroy the mystery of the mountain, Alice." "But, the Matterhorn, itself, can have no mystery for a man who's been up it a dozen times." "It's like going behind the scenes of a ballet or making a conjuror explain his tricks." "You'd be climbing yourself if it weren't for me and Kate." "Oh, no." "To come too close to the mountains..." "is to destroy their magic." "Look through here." "You see that little peak at the end of the valley?" "Hmm." "Can't you dream of the unknown beautiful world that exists up there?" "All the more beautiful just because it is...unknown." "Ahem!" "Well, good morning, Uncle John." "You had a good night, I hope?" "No, a wretched night, with Swiss cooking and... other incommoding occurrences." "Uh, I want to talk to you, Alice, about our arrangement." "Well, if you'll both excuse me." "Now, look here, Alice." "What I want to know is what the deuce is he doing here?" "He told you last night, Father, he's on a walking tour of the country." "Yes, and now he's walked in on us." "Just like his infernal cheek." "What nonsense, Father, he's come to see his sister." "You know how close they've always been?" "I didn't notice he took much trouble with her when they were in England." "He doesn't see much of her in England, because Kate lives with grandfather in Vavasor Hall, and George and grandfather don't get on." "You know all that as well as anyone does." " Very well." "Well, now he's here, let him see his sister." "And for the rest, Alice, let him leave well alone." "You know it's funny that he should turn up just as Grey is off home." "Pure chance, Father." "Pure fiddlesticks!" "How long is he going to stay here?" "Kate says that she hopes he will stay here as long as we do, and then accompany us home." "Oh, well." "I can't stop him, I suppose." "Of course we can't, Father." "Not when Kate's so happy." "And what's happened to his precious...walking tour?" "He can take walks from here." "Yes I know, and I hope he will, Missy, good long walks." "But it seems he would prefer to look through telescopes instead." "Ba..." "Ba-sel." "Basel." "Basel." "Ba." "We shall be home very soon, now." "Dear, dear London..." "How I long for it." "I thought we might go down to the country over this watch." "I have some people I want to entertain at Matching." "A bit before parliament meets again in February." "Can't you entertain them in London?" "At Matching, Glencora, there's the calm and the leisure to explore important political matters." "Now, uh, it is for you, my dear." "Wh-uh,...what is it, my dear?" "It's just a letter of thanks from that couple that came here to dinner." "The Trouble Brothers were they called?" " Eh, Trüffel Grüders, my dear." " Yes, well, that's all it is." "Alice." "Cousin Alice." "Alice." "What a piece of luck!" "If I'd have been able to choose one person in all the world to come walking into this place this afternoon,...in every sense" " it would be Alice." " Glencora." "How do you find Switzerland?" "Oh, dull." "Oh Mr. Palliser has been kindness itself." "At least he has...tried to be." "He is the most worthy man in all the world." "But, it would be very, very different with somebody else." "You must not say that, ever." "Plantagenet, this is Miss Alice Vavasor, my cousin and very good friend." "Well, Miss Vavasor,...my wife speaks about you very often." "This is my father, Mr. John Vavasor and my cousin, Kate, and... and your cousin, George." "Now, now if you will excuse us." "Oh, yes, we're to dine with a Swiss banker so that Mr. Palliser may discuss the decimal system of money." "But, tomorrow I'm promised to cheat." "To make up." "Yes I'm taking my wife to the museum." "I have been thinking, Plantagenet, we've seen so many museums on our tour, may we not go to the fencing school instead?" "The fencing school, my dear, you haven't spoken about this before." "But, have I not?" "But, the fencing school here in Bern is famous." "Did you not know?" "I've certainly heard of it, Lady Glencora." "Indeed I have friends who've trained and competed there." "There you are, you see?" "Now, Alice and I want to go to the fencing school, don't we Alice?" " Well, I..." " Yes, I knew you would." "But, of course, Plantagenet, we wouldn't dream of depriving you of your museum." "So, you go there, and, uh you take Alice's father with you." "He looks a museumy sort of person." "And that leaves Mr. George Vavasor who can escort Alice and me and explain the sword practice." "So, that's settled." "Come along, Plantagenet, we don't want to keep bankers waiting." " Just a moment, Lady Glencora." "It says here that the museum is closed for the next week." "Repairs, it says." " Repairs." "Well, it would seem that fate intends that we should all go to this fencing school." "Which will make an interesting change, as Lady Glencora says." "What time should we say?" "Before..." "lunch?" "No, three o'clock." "Well, I have heard that the afternoon is best." "Well, just as you wish, my dear." "It was your idea." "Then we say three o'clock, then, if that is convenient?" "Goodnight." "Goodnight." "They say it's very good for the figure." "I wonder if they'd let us enroll, Alice." "You'd make a very handsome swordsman." "How I envy them, Plantagenet." "A very pretty pastime, my dear." "I doubt this school has very much application in the modern world." "Rather a different style from the one we teach in the volunteers." "Quicker, more showy." "Then, of course, we use heavier weapons." "Are you a volunteer, Mr. Vavasor?" "I was before I went away." "If I'm not too busy, I may take up my commission again." "I want to get a closer look." "No, no, Plantagenet." "Mr. George Vavasor will understand it all so much better." "So, will you come with me, Mr. Vavasor?" "And explain the...finer points." "Lady Glencora." "The...further chap's in control, if you ask me." "He's just keeping the other fellow off letting him wear himself out." "It's the oldest trick in the book." "Now he's beginning to show his colors." "Very neat." " They'll take a breather now." "Burgo." "Glencora." "Lady Glencora, would you like to sit down again?" "Lady Glencora." "Glencora." "We will wish to go home now." "Yes, I think I've seen enough for one afternoon." "A surprise, eh, Burgo?" "You need not worry, Alice." "I am strong enough to bear it." "I think." " You will not try to see him again?" "We leave tomorrow morning, even earlier than you do." "Did he send you word by my cousin George?" "You like your cousin George, don't you Alice?" "Did George bring you word from Mr. Fitzgerald?" "And only one word, love." "George never told you." "Well, he didn't." "He said he'd pass me this." "Before dinner." "Love, B. Well, two words if you count the B." "Can you count the B., Alice?" "There." "You see how strong I am." "Time is nearly up, George." "The nearer to England the stronger the pressure, you said." "I know." "But it won't be easy with this crowd." "When the Palliser's all we'll go up at once." "I'll see you get your chance." "Did you have a good look around?" "Yes, you can say fine, no doubt." "Well, come to bed Glencora." "We have a very early start in the morning." " Mr. Vavasor, Kate, George." " Goodnight." "Alice, you will come to Matching after the end of winter." "I can't, Lady Glencora." "You're so strong, Alice, you won't let anybody." "Not even John Grey steal your time if you had a use for it yourself." "Come to Matching, Alice." "You're very kind, Lady Glencora." "Not Lady Glencora..." "just Glencora, please." "Don't forget that we have an early start, too." "I shall not think twice about leaving any of you behind, so don't think I shall." "Well, I must go up and pack." "Goodnight." "No Alice let me do yours." "Thank you, so far as it can be done tonight." "I'm good at packing..." "ain't I, George?" "None better." " Alice." " I've got something to show you." "The Rhine by moonlight." "Heh." "Not as grand a view as your father and Mr. Palliser have got." "But good enough for our purpose." "Purpose, George?" "To remind us that nothing stands still." "You and I have just passed three happy weeks together." "Now they've flowed passed us like the waters of that river, and have gone forever down to the sea of eternity." "And so now, Alice, you and I must part." "But you'll be in London, George." "Not till the election." "And after if I succeed." "Well then, why say we must part?" "I...shall be so... so interested...so excited to hear about your new career." "Day by day, hour by hour I shall want to hear all about it." "How can that possibly be?" "How can I really stay your friend?" "If you're to be the mistress of that man's house down in Ely?" " George, do not say that." " I do say that, and more." "Knowing you as I do I couldn't understand how you could love a man like John Grey after you'd loved me." "It was as though someone who'd lived on brandy had suddenly changed to a diet of milk!" "The milk diet is not doubt the better of the two, but it's not a change that lovers of brandy can make." "They can make it soon enough, George, if they find the glass is poisoned." " Poisoned?" " You know why I broke with you." "Because I found that the glass which you offered me was being sullied by someone else!" "That particular tumbler has long , Alice, and thrown away!" "Now I'm still the old liquor, but I'm now serving a new, clean glass." "You will be the first to drink from it." "Perhaps." "But however new and clean the glass, George, the old liquor may still carry the old taint." "But you still long for it, Alice." "Don't you still crave brandy!" "But if you go down to live among the milk pails of Ely oh, the wholesome diet there will very soon...bore you to death!" "And so, as far as we can make out, Duke," "Burgo Fitzgerald has been plotting to meet her ever since the marriage." "And at the last he positively thrust himself on her, in Bâle." "Sprang out of the ground in front of her like the demon king in a pantomime." "And how did you hear about it?" "But the Vavasor's were there, when it happened." "The Vavasors, Lady Midlothian?" "Oh, distant connections of mine and Glencora's, Duke,...by marriage." "Mr. John Vavasor had occasion to write to me about the flighty behavior of his daughter, Alice, but that is another story." "He also happened to mention this affair of..." "Glencora and Mr. Fitzgerald." "Who sprang out of the ground, as you say, like the demon king in the pantomime." " What did he do then?" " Ah, nothing." "Mr. Palliser took Glencora back to the hotel." "Ha-ha,...you see, Plantagenet is the good fairy, and more than the match for the demon king." "Not, none the less, Duke, we thought that you should be warned." "A similar thing may quite easily happen again now that they're all back in England." "And the next time your nephew may not just be on hand to deal with it." "You mean the Lady Glencora would encourage Mr. Fitzgerald?" "I think, Duke, she would not discourage him." "Oh, it's too early in the marriage for this kind of thing." "She must give Plantagenet a proper turn first." "Don't she understand that?" "She understands, Duke, but she's willful, perverse." "Is she now?" "Ladies...when we come right down to it all that really matter is that there should be no open scandal." "If she must make a mess from time to time teach her to make in the shrubbery, where no one can see her, and not on the drawing room carpet." "Well, ladies, I'm off to Italy in a day or two, but, between the pair of you, I think you'll be able to put her right about all that." "Ohh." "I shall discuss it in committee in February." "Oh, it's against the present chancellor's opinion." "Yes, of course." "Did you have a pleasant walk, my dear?" "Why..." "I was hoping to walk in the priory ruins, but it was too wet." "You're like ruins, Lady Glencora." "A poetic taste, I think." "This is no day for poetry, Mr. Bott." "So I've been planning all the rooms for the guests who are arriving next week." "Now the Duke and Duchess of Sambangai should have the west room, I think." "My dear, I think the housekeeper knows well enough where to put the" "Duke and Duchess of Sambangai and everyone else." "There's no need to worry yourself about it." "Oh, I feel so grateful to have something to do, but I need your advice, Plantagenet." "Now which is the best room for the Duke of Omnium?" "I was not aware that he would be honoring us." "But I wrote to him, myself." "Well, I thought it would be an excellent way of expressing our gratitude for the gift of this house." "Glencora, you should never write to my uncle without first consulting me." "Besides, the Duke always spends the autumn in Lake Como." "And he never attends meetings of a political complexion." "As such as this one is bound to be." "But at any course you were not to know." "No." "No, of course not." " Do not be discouraged, Lady Glencora." "Although, Martha is much comforted with her domestic duties she has her reward at the last." "Well, I should dearly like to know what it will be." "At least, let me thank you for the provision of this of this magnificent fire." "Ho, ho, ho, such luxury." "I don't know, Mr. Bott, that it's anything out-of-the-way." "In some corners of my constituency, Lady Glencora, so lavish a fire would be very much out-of-the-way." "But, of course, you could not know this." "Well, all I can say, Mr. Bott is that I'm sorry for your constituency." "Sincerely sorry, believe me." "Bott, I wonder if you would care go into my study to get those papers laid out?" "Of course." "Of course." " Lady Glencara." " Glencora." "Eh, ahem." "Glencora, I do wish you could be a little more forbearing with Mr. Bott." "How could one be forbearing with a man who talks like a bear" " and talks like a toad?" " Well, he is my associate." "He is your jackal." "Glencora!" "Now, if you insist upon it, Mr. Bott shall leave this house." "And in such case he will never enter it again." "Would you kindly remember this:" "Mr. Bott is a man whom I trust in politics." "He's very highly regarded in the..." "advanced circles of the Liberal Party." "And he will be useful to me now..." "and when our guests arrive next week." "Then Mr. Bott shall stay." "I'm sure we can continue to find a home for Mr. Bott." "But, of course, I was forgetting the housekeeper will settle all that!" "So you think this pattern will do?" "For the dining room." "Alice?" " Yes, I think it will do." "And you, sir?" "Oh, huh, I'm not the one who has to live with it." "I don't know anything about these things." "If you'll excuse me, I'll just take a turn in the garden." "Alice." "Alice!" "Well, Alice, you've chosen the curtains and the carpets, and now you must chose the day, must you not?" "Marriage is such a huge change and so binding." "It must come sometime." "I must abandon all the ways of life that I've come to value." "I must leave London." "Give up...my freedom." "The sooner you do so, the easier you'll find it." "I cannot tell you about that, Mr. Grey!" "There's one thing I know for certain, you must not ask me about this again until the winter has past." "But, Alice, you promised you'd decide as soon as you were home from Switzerland." "I'm sorry." "It cannot be." "Alice." "Dearest Alice." "Alice!" " You're ill." " I'm not ill!" "I...do not know, John." "What the matter may be." "I shall be clearer, perhaps, when I'm back in London." "I shall ask Papa to take me out by rail this afternoon." "Alice." "You are my chosen wife." "I cannot just let you..." "go away from me like this." "Nevertheless it is better that I go now." "And that we wait until the spring before we talk further of marriage." "I think you are ill." "And that I know the name of your disease." "You must get well, Alice." "Pray God you soon will." "And now go if you must." "And God bless you." "Eh." "Just now starting to rain." "Huh." "Anything wrong, Alice?" "No Papa, nothing." "He hasn't made himself disagreeable, has he?" "Not in the least." "He never does anything wrong." "He may defy man or beast if I go with him." "Uh, just a little bit too much on the good side." "Still, that's better than the other thing." "I told him we shall take the train up to London this afternoon." "Well I can't get away from this too soon." "Aren't you being a bit abrupt?" "I serve not useful purpose by staying here, either to myself...or to him." "They say the Lady Glencora has gone to Matching Priory." "And your cousin Alice has gone to Ely." "My cousin Alice has come back, Burgo, Sooner than expected." "The news has given me quite an appetite for dinner." "Dolly, Dolly...that fellow Vavasor, he's trying to get into the Chelsea districts...as a liberal." " So he tells me." " Yes, well... some people in the party are not quite...you know... not quite sure about him." "Is he..." "Is he sound?" "Money, I mean?" "Well, he brought a bit back with him, but... just how much is anybody's guess." "Well, now listen." "They say he'll inherit Vavasor Hall from his grandfather." "True enough...but there's no guarantee." "Drinks, does he?" "No more than anyone else." "Gambles?" "Not so's you'd notice, nowadays." "Women?" "There were some nasty rows in the old days, which have taught him to be more discreet, now." " Oh." " Or, so he says." "Oh." "Well, he's certainly very impressive to look at." "He's not fool, so I'm told." "Rather too liberal for some tastes." "But I think we can get him around on for a bit without interfering." "If he watches his step, and keeps himself in funds could be of use to the party." "Vavasor." "George Vavasor, you say?" "That's right, Mr. Grimes, George Vavasor." "I am running him as a liberal candidate for the district in the next election." "But, of course, sir, we will want your help." "Like you've had it in the past, eh, Mr. Scrubie?" "Like I've had it in the past, ...and paid for." " Hmm." " Fair and Square." "George Vavasor..." "a gentleman, would you say?" "I'd say a gentleman adventurer, Mr. Grimes." "He'll be in in a little." "You'll be able to judge for yourself." "Knocked about a bit has he?" "Oh yes, yes of course" "And come back as rich as a nabob." "Oh, they don't come back as rich as that anymore, Mr. Grimes." "But, aha...he's lined his pockets, I should think!" " You think?" " Heh, heh." "You're his agent, you oughta bleeding well know." "It's no good asking my support for you gentleman-adventurer unless he can put his hand in his pocket and pull it out...full." "And keep it up as regular as this pump." "There he is now, look, over there by the door." "All right, then..." "we'll have a little test." "What?" "Over here, Mr. Vavasor!" "I, look uh..." "Mr. Scrubie's just been telling me all about you." "I'm Ned Grimes, and welcome to the Hansom Manor." "The finest property on the river." "Here, take that load over to Jim Blacken and his crew." "And tell 'em it's with the compliments of Mr. George Vavasor." "The new Liberal candidate for the Chelsea District." "All right, Mr. Vavasor?" "All right, yeah." "Of course, Mr. Grimes, yes of course." "Well then, shall we, uh..." "shall we call it five sovereigns?" "Five sovereigns, for a few pints of beer?" "Aye that and a few more pints, Mr. Vavasor." "And then a few more pints after that." "We're a thirsty lot down here in the Chelsea Districts." "Here you are." "Ahh, thank you, Mr. Vavasor." "You won't regret it." "The more they drink, you see, the better they remember who they're voting for." " And if they forget it..." " I don't." "No one who drinks what you paid for in my house puts his cross anywhere but for you." "Not while I'm looking." "And I'll be there on the big day, Mr. V." "Lookin'!" "Heh." "Please to come through, gentlemen." "Oh!" "Yes." "Now...now that you understand the principle of the thing, Mr. Vavasor." "I'm sure you'll agree that if you put your money down right away, then we can both get working for you straight away as soon as the seat becomes vacant." "Ho, ho, possibly even a little earlier." "I prefer to wait for a general election." "Oh, now, you listen to me, Mr. Vavasor." "As soon as that old is carried to his forefathers then his son, young, who sits with us now will be gathered into the House of Lords. - and this seat will become vacant then and there and" "you will have to take it there and then at the bye-election or kiss it goodnight for good!" "What are the chances of a bye-election?" "As high as Lord von Rattie's blood pressure." "And the question is this, Mr. Vavasor:" "How much of the stumpy can you stand for here and now?" " Stumpy?" " Ah, yes our name for cash down here along the river." "And down here along the river we appreciates a gentleman who comes over quick with the stumpy." "A thirsty lot, Mr. V." "I need no reminder of that." "Well,...here's a check for 500 down." "And here, Mr. Scrubie, is a bill for a further 500 at three month's date." "Oh dear, oh dear..." "three month's date." "I have some...valuable investments that I don't wish to disturb for some weeks." "Ah yes" "No doubt, no doubt, sir, Mr. Vavasor, but the voters here want to be paid on the nail." "I mean, they are thirsty now." "They don't understand anything about investments." "Very well, you shall have further 500 down the moment the seat falls vacant." "A further 500 down the moment the seat falls vacant." "Yeah, I think we can manage it for that, Mr. Vavasor." "Only you must remember sir, in this game a ha'penny now is worth a tenner at three month's date." "My dear, Mr. Bott and I finished early for today." "I was hoping you might accompany me on a walk." "Oh, it's raining, Plantagenet, very hard indeed." "Oh dear, I hadn't noticed." "Still, I dare say, that swim to the ruins and back, and no doubt Mr. Botts would go with you." "Mr. Botts, do you feel like a nice swim?" "I think I shall have a little rest, Lady Glencora." "Thank you all the same." "What an interesting book you're reading." "Very interesting, as I am sure Mr. Palliser will agree." " Balzac." " Glencora." "Yes, Plantagenet, the splendors and miseries of courtesans." "Very interesting." "You have Mr. Botts word for that." "If you will excuse me." "That's suitable for a young lady?" " A married lady, Mr. Palliser." " Married to me?" "Well, I found it in your library." "My uncle's library, Glencora." "I deprecate your choice." "You do, do you?" "Well if I get any more bored and stifled than I already am I shall start screeching." "And don't think I shan't." "Cora!" "Cora!" "Cora, you must be calm!" "Now, what is the matter?" "It's so empty..." "living here." "Dear I have been very busy these past few weeks." "From now on I shall try to spend more time." "Don't you think that when the house if full of guests things will be more lively for you?" "Politicians will be like having a whole house full of Mr. Botts." "Not all politicians are quite like Mr. Botts." "For example, I would defy you to dislike the Duke of St. Bungay" "But, even so...perhaps if you had a friend here?" "And a friend of your own age of your own choosing?" "Or that cousin perhaps whom we encountered in Switzerland." "Alice..." "Yes." "Yes...yes, yes." "I shall write to Alice." "Yes, I shall write to Alice, now." "And...ask her stay as long as you like." "And shall you accept the Lady Glencora's invitation?" "I think so, George." "It would have been different had things had been settled between Mr. Grey and me, but as it is." "You mean you're finished with him?" "I did not say that." "I mean, George, that I wish to think my own thoughts for awhile and I daresay Matching Priory is as good a place as any." "Besides..." "Glencora's letter makes me feel she needs me." "She may not be the only one." "Well Alice, I wish you a pleasant stay." "I shall be glad to share in any political wisdom that comes your way from Planty Palliser's grand friends." "What are your immediate plans, George." " Hmm?" " About parliament?" "Oh, I simply must stay put and watch over the Chelsea District." "There may be a bye-election there anytime now." "You'll get in?" "If no one opposes me." "And if someone does?" "They tell me it's largely a matter of money." "I must say, Alice, if that old wiser up in Westmorland would let me have a few thousand on the estate now it could make all the difference to me over the next months." "You know Grandfather, George." "You'll have to fight your way into Westminster Palace without any help from him." "So my cousin Alice is joining Lady Glencora's distinguished guests at Matching Priory next week." "She's to be there for at least a month." "The devil she is, and how will that help?" "Alice will see the great world as it passes." "And she'll soon be more than ever be discontented with dismal clog John Grey." "And another thing, she may... inadvertently, of course, pass me news of the Lady Glencora that could help you." "D'you know, I believe the Lady Glencora really would." " Would what, Burgo." " Come away with me, if I asked at the right moment." "A man can't know till it is tried." "Plantagenet would keep her money in any case." "I don't know how that'd be." "But I do know I still love her." "And I believe she still loves me." "It's like enough." "Has she the pluck for a thing like that?" "Oh, she's full of pluck." "Well, what's your plan?" "As I see it, it's not so much of having a plan... as being ready to act, quickly, the moment the opportunity offers." "Standing to, we used to say in the volunteers." "Well it's not enough just to stand to." "A man's gotta be ready to move." "And moving takes money..." "double the money for two." "Oh, four times the money if one of them is Lady Glencora." "I don't know that she'd be too faddy." "But I must have some money." "George...can you get me some money to stay in the game?" "I suppose so." "After all, a spectator should pay for their amusement." "I hoped you'd think of it like that." "And I'll be damned for a perfect fool." "But look here, Burgo." "I've got a tricky game of my own running just now, so." "You would show yourself grateful if you do pull it off?" "As you said she might have nothing." "But some of it might stick to her." "And if it did, Burgo?" "I'd be so glad to have her I'd give you anything I could." "That's my good boy." "Well here's something to begin on with." "I'll raise some more later if the play shows any signs of going your way." "But it'll mean some sticky signing with those damned usurers in the city." "I'd sign away my soul for a chance of getting back my Glencora." "I'll have her yet, George." "And though in the old days, I only had to touch her, for her to melt under my hand." "If I could just get close enough to touch her." " You'll have her again." "For good."