Phineas understood, also, that
he had lost his seat at Loughton. For the borough of Loughton there
would never again be an election. "If I had been Mr. Mildmay, I would
have thrown the bill up altogether," Lord Brentford said afterwards;
"but of course it was not for me to interfere."
The session was protracted for two months after that,--beyond the
time at which grouse should have been shot,--and by the 23rd of
August became the law of the land. "I shall never get over it," said
Mr. Ratler to Mr. Finn, seated one terribly hot evening on a bench
behind the Cabinet Ministers,--"never. I don't suppose such a session
for work was ever known before. Think what it is to have to keep
men together in August, with the thermometer at 81 degress, and the
river stinking like,--like the very mischief." Mr. Ratler, however,
did not die.
On the last day of the session Laurence Fitzgibbon resigned. Rumours
reached the ears of Phineas as to the cause of this, but no certain
cause was told him. It was said that Lord Cantrip had insisted upon
it, Laurence having by mischance been called upon for some official
statement during an unfortunate period of absence. There was,
however, a mystery about it;--but the mystery was not half so
wonderful as the triumph to Phineas, when Mr.
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