She had tried her skill also upon Laurence Fitzgibbon,--but
altogether in vain. He had eaten her dinners and accepted her
courtesies, and had given for them no return whatever. But Phineas
had possessed a more grateful mind, and had done all that had been
required of him;--had done all that had been required of him till
there had come that terrible absurdity in Ireland. "I knew very well
what sort of things would happen when they brought such a man as Mr.
Monk into the Cabinet," Lady Cantrip had said to her husband.
But though the party was very small, and though the guests were all
his intimate friends, Phineas suspected nothing special till an
attack was made upon him as soon as the servants had left the room.
This was done in the presence of the two ladies, and, no doubt, had
been preconcerted. There was Lord Cantrip there, who had already said
much to him, and Barrington Erle who had said more even than Lord
Cantrip. Lord Brentford, himself a member of the Cabinet, opened the
attack by asking whether it was actually true that Mr. Monk meant
to go on with his motion. Barrington Erle asserted that Mr. Monk
positively would do so. "And Gresham will oppose it?" asked the Earl.
"Of course he will," said Barrington. "Of course he will," said Lord
Cantrip.
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