Alice, or the Mysteries — Book 05

								

seemed to have lost his memory.  He knew not what regret was.  It is a
condition of life with men thoroughly worldly that they never look
behind!
The signal was given: in due order the party were marshalled into the
great hall,--a spacious and lofty chamber, which had received its last
alteration from the hand of Inigo Jones; though the massive ceiling, with
its antique and grotesque masques, betrayed a much earlier date, and
contrasted with the Corinthian pilasters that adorned the walls, and
supported the music-gallery, from which waved the flags of modern warfare
and its mimicries,--the eagle of Napoleon, a token of the services of
Lord Raby's brother (a distinguished cavalry officer in command at
Waterloo), in juxtaposition with a much gayer and more glittering banner,
emblematic of the martial fame of Lord Raby himself, as Colonel of the
B-----shire volunteers!
The music pealed from the gallery, the plate glittered on the board; the
ladies wore diamonds, and the gentlemen who had them wore stars.  It was
a very fine sight, that banquet!--such as became the festive day of a
lord-lieutenant whose ancestors had now defied, and now intermarried,
with royalty.  But there was very little talk, and no merriment.  People
at the top of the table drank wine with those at the bottom; and
gentlemen and ladies seated next to each other whispered languidly in
monosyllabic commune.  On one side, Maltravers was flanked by a Lady
Somebody Something, who was rather deaf, and very much frightened for
fear he should talk Greek; on the other side he was relieved by Sir John
Merton,--very civil, very pompous, and talking, at strictured intervals,
about county matters, in a measured intonation, savouring of the
House-of-Commons jerk at the end of the sentence.
As the dinner advanced to its close, Sir John became a little more
diffuse, though his voice sank into a whisper.
"I fear there will be a split in the Cabinet before parliament meets."
"Indeed!"
"Yes; Vargrave and the premier cannot pull together very long.  Clever
man, Vargrave! but he has not enough stake in the country for a leader!"
"All men have public character to stake; and if that be good, I suppose
no stake can be better?"
"Humph!--yes--very true; but still, when a man has land and money, his
opinions, in a country like this, very properly carry more weight with
them.  If Vargrave, for instance, had Lord Raby's property, no man could
be more fit for a leader,--a prime minister.  We might then be sure that
he would have no selfish interest to further: he would not play tricks
with his party--you understand?"
"Perfectly."
"I am not a party man, as you may remember; indeed, you and I have voted
alike on the same questions.  Measures, not men,--that is my maxim; but
still I don't like to see men placed above their proper stations."
"Maltravers, a glass of wine," said Lord Vargrave across the table.