"
"I don't believe a word of what he said about Lord Chiltern," said
Lord Fawn.
"About his marriage with Miss Effingham?"
"It would be such an abominable shame to sacrifice the girl," said
Lord Fawn. "Only think of it. Everything is gone. The man is a
drunkard, and I don't believe he is any more reconciled to his father
than you are. Lady Laura Kennedy must have had some object in saying
so."
"Perhaps an invention of Finn's altogether," said Mr. Bonteen. "Those
Irish fellows are just the men for that kind of thing."
"A man, you know, so violent that nobody can hold him," said Lord
Fawn, thinking of Chiltern.
"And so absurdly conceited," said Mr. Bonteen, thinking of Phineas.
"A man who has never done anything, with all his advantages in the
world,--and never will."
"He won't hold his place long," said Mr. Bonteen.
"Whom do you mean?"
"Phineas Finn."
"Oh, Mr. Finn. I was talking of Lord Chiltern. I believe Finn to be
a very good sort of a fellow, and he is undoubtedly clever. They say
Cantrip likes him amazingly. He'll do very well. But I don't believe
a word of this about Lord Chiltern." Then Mr. Bonteen felt himself to
be snubbed, and soon afterwards left Lord Fawn alone.
CHAPTER LIV
Consolation
On the day following Madame Goesler's dinner party, Phineas, though
he was early at his office, was not able to do much work, still
feeling that as regarded the realities of the world, his back
was broken.
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