The Coalition had many component parts, some coalescing without difficulty, but with no special cordiality.Such was the condition of things between the very conservative Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and his somewhat radical Chief Secretary, Mr Finn,--between probably the larger number of those who were contented with the duties of their own offices and the pleasures and profits arising therefrom.Some by this time hardly coalesced at all, as was the case with Sir Gregory Grogram and Sir Timothy Beeswax, the Attorney-General and Solicitor-General;--and was especially the case with the Prime Minister and Sir Orlando Drought.But in one or two happy cases the Coalition was sincere and loyal,--and in no case was this more so than with regard to Mr Rattler and Mr Roby.Mr Rattler and Mr Roby had throughout their long parliamentary lives belonged to opposite parties, and had been accustomed to regard each other with mutual jealousy and almost with mutual hatred.But now they had come to see how equal, how alike, and how sympathetic were their tastes, and how well each might help the other.As long as Mr Rattler could keep his place at the Treasury,--and his ambition never stirred him to aught higher,--he was quite contented that his old rival should be happy at the Admiralty.And that old rival, when he looked about him and felt his present comfort, when he remembered how short-lived had been the good things which had hitherto come in his way, and how little probable it was that long-lived good things should be his when the Coalition was broken up, manfully determined that loyalty to the present Head of Government was his duty.He had sat for too many years on the same bench with Sir Orlando to believe much in his power of governing the country.
Therefore, when Sir Orlando dropped his hint Mr Roby did not take it.
'I wonder whether it's true that Sir Orlando complained to the Duke that he was not asked to dinner?' said Mr Roby to Mr Rattler.
'I should hardly think so.I can't fancy that he would have the pluck,' said Mr Rattler.'The Duke isn't the easiest man in the world to speak about such a thing as that.'
'It would be a monstrous thing for a man to do! But Drought's head is quite turned.You can see that.'
'We never thought much about him, you know, on our side.'
'It was what your side thought about him,' rejoined Roby, 'that put him where he is now.'
'It was the fate of accidents, Roby, which puts many of us in our places, and arranges our work for us, and makes us little men or big men.There are other men besides Drought who have been tossed up in a blanket till they don't know whether their heads or their heels are highest.'
'I quite believe the Duke,' said Mr Roby, almost alarmed by the suggestion which his new friend had seemed to make.
'So do I, Roby.He has not the obduracy of Lord Brock, nor the ineffable manner of Mr Mildmay, nor the brilliant intellect of Mr Gresham.'
'Nor the picturesque imagination of Mr Daubney,' said Mr Roby, feeling himself bound to support the character of his late chief.
'Nor the audacity,' said Mr Rattler.'But he has the peculiar gift of his own, and gifts fitted for the peculiar combination of circumstances, if he will only be content to use them.He is a just, unambitious, intelligent man, in whom after a while the country would come to have implicit confidence.But he is thin-skinned and ungenial.'
'I have got into his boat,' said Roby, enthusiastically, 'and he will find that I shall be true to him.'
'There is not better boat to be in at present,' said the slightly sarcastic Rattler.'As to the Drought pinnace, it will be more difficult to get it afloat than the four ships themselves.To tell the truth honestly, Roby, we have to rid ourselves of Sir Orlando.I have a great regard for the man.'
'I can't say I ever liked him.'
'I don't talk about liking,--but he has achieved success, and is to be regarded.Now he has lost his head, and he is bound to get a fall.The question is,--who shall fall with him?'
'I do not feel myself at all bound to sacrifice myself.'