Very shortly after the prorogation1 of parliament, an incident occurred which materially affected2 the position of Endymion. Lord Roehampton had a serious illness. Having a fine constitution, he apparently3 completely rallied from the attack, and little was known of it by the public. The world also, at that moment, was as usual much dispersed4 and distracted; dispersed in many climes, and distracted by the fatigue5 and hardships they annually6 endure, and which they call relaxation7. Even the colleagues of the great statesman were scattered8, and before they had realised that he had been seriously ill, they read of him in the fulfilment of his official duties. But there was no mistake as to his state under his own roof. Lord Roehampton had, throughout the later period of his life, been in the habit of working at night. It was only at night that he could command that abstraction necessary for the consideration of great affairs. He was also a real worker. He wrote his own despatches, whenever they referred to matters of moment. He left to the permanent staff of his office little but the fulfilment of duties which, though heavy and multifarious, were duties of routine. The composition of these despatches was a source to Lord Roehampton of much gratification and excitement. They were of European fame, and their terse10 argument, their clear determination, and often their happy irony11, were acknowledged in all the cabinets, and duly apprehended12.
The physicians impressed upon Lady Roehampton that this night-work must absolutely cease. A neglect of their advice must lead to serious consequences; following it, there was no reason why her husband should not live for years, and continue to serve the State. Lord Roehampton must leave the House of Commons; he must altogether change the order of his life; he must seek more amusement in society, and yet keep early hours; and then he would find himself fresh and vigorous in the morning, and his work would rather benefit than distress13 him. It was all an affair of habit.
Lady Roehampton threw all her energies into this matter. She entertained for her lord a reverential affection, and his life to her seemed a precious deposit, of which she was the trustee. She succeeded where the physicians would probably have failed. Towards the end of the year Lord Roehampton was called up to the House of Lords for one of his baronies, and Endymion was informed that when parliament met, he would have to represent the Foreign Office in the House of Commons.
Waldershare heartily14 congratulated him. “You have got what I most wished to have in the world; but I will not envy you, for envy is a vile15 passion. You have the good fortune to serve a genial16 chief. I had to deal with a Harley,—cold, suspicious, ambiguous, pretending to be profound, and always in a state of perplexity.”
It was not a very agreeable session. The potato famine did something more than repeal17 the corn laws. It proved that there was no floating capital left in the country; and when the Barings and Rothschilds combined, almost as much from public spirit as from private speculation18, to raise a loan of a few millions for the minister, they absolutely found the public purse was exhausted19, and had to supply the greater portion of the amount from their own resources. In one of the many financial debates that consequently occurred, Trenchard established himself by a clear and comprehensive view of the position of affairs, and by modestly reminding the House, that a year ago he had predicted the present condition of things, and indicated its inevitable20 cause.
This was the great speech on a great night, and Mr. Bertie Tremaine walked home with Trenchard. It was observed that Mr. Bertie Tremaine always walked home with the member who had made the speech of the evening.
“Your friends did not behave well to you,” he said in a hollow voice to Trenchard. “They ought to have made you Secretary of the Treasury21. Think of this. It is an important post, and may lead to anything; and, so far as I am concerned, it would give me real pleasure to see it.”
But besides the disquietude of domestic affairs, famine and failures competing in horrible catastrophe22 and the Bank Act suspended, as the year advanced matters on the Continent became not less dark and troubled. Italy was mysteriously agitated23; the pope announced himself a reformer; there were disturbances24 in Milan, Ancona, and Ferrara; the Austrians threatened the occupation of several States, and Sardinia offered to defend His Holiness from the Austrians. In addition to all this, there were reform banquets in France, a civil war in Switzerland, and the King of Prussia thought it prudent25 to present his subjects with a Constitution.
The Count of Ferroll about this time made a visit to England. He was always a welcome guest there, and had received the greatest distinction which England could bestow26 upon a foreigner; he had been elected an honorary member of White’s. “You may have troubles here,” he said to Lady Montfort, “but they will pass; you will have mealy potatoes again and plenty of bank notes, but we shall not get off so cheaply. Everything is quite rotten throughout the Continent. This year is tranquillity27 to what the next will be. There is not a throne in Europe worth a year’s purchase. My worthy28 master wants me to return home and be minister; I am to fashion for him a new constitution. I will never have anything to do with new constitutions; their inventors are always the first victims. Instead of making a constitution, he should make a country, and convert his heterogeneous29 domains30 into a patriotic31 dominion32.”
“But how is that to be done?”
“There is only one way; by blood and iron.”
“My dear count, you shock me!”
“I shall have to shock you a great deal more before the inevitable is brought about.”
“Well, I am glad that there is something,” said Lady Montfort, “which is inevitable. I hope it will come soon. I am sure this country is ruined. What with cheap bread at famine prices and these railroads, we seem quite finished. I thought one operation was to counteract33 the other; but they appear both to turn out equally fatal.”
Endymion had now one of those rare opportunities which, if men be equal to them, greatly affect their future career. As the session advanced, debates on foreign affairs became frequent and deeply interesting. So far as the ministry34 was concerned, the burthen of these fell on the Under–Secretary of State. He was never wanting. The House felt that he had not only the adequate knowledge, but that it was knowledge perfectly35 digested; that his remarks and conduct were those of a man who had given constant thought to his duties, and was master of his subject. His oratorical36 gifts also began to be recognised. The power and melody of his voice had been before remarked, and that is a gift which much contributes to success in a popular assembly. He was ready without being too fluent. There were light and shade in his delivery. He repressed his power of sarcasm37; but if unjustly and inaccurately38 attacked, he could be keen. Over his temper he had a complete control; if, indeed, his entire insensibility to violent language on the part of an opponent was not organic. All acknowledged his courtesy, and both sides sympathised with a young man who proved himself equal to no ordinary difficulties. In a word, Endymion was popular, and that popularity was not diminished by the fact of his being the brother of Lady Roehampton, who exercised great influence in society, and who was much beloved.
As the year advanced external affairs became daily more serious, and the country congratulated itself that its interests were entrusted39 to a minister of the experience and capacity of Lord Roehampton. That statesman seemed never better than when the gale40 ran high. Affairs in France began to assume the complexion41 that the Count of Ferroll had prophetically announced. If a crash occurred in that quarter, Lord Roehampton felt that all Europe might be in a blaze. Affairs were never more serious than at the turn of the year. Lord Roehampton told his wife that their holidays must be spent in St. James’ Square, for he could not leave London; but he wished her to go to Gaydene, where they had been invited by Mr. Sidney Wilton to pass their Christmas as usual. Nothing, however, would induce her to quit his side. He seemed quite well, but the pressure of affairs was extreme; and sometimes, against all her remonstrances42, he was again working at night. Such remonstrances on other subjects would probably have been successful, for her influence over him was extreme. But to a minister responsible for the interests of a great country they are vain, futile43, impossible. One might as well remonstrate44 with an officer on the field of battle on the danger he was incurring45. She said to him one night in his library, where she paid him a little visit before she retired46, “My heart, I know it is no use my saying anything, and yet—remember your promise. This night-work makes me very unhappy.”
“I remember my promise, and I will try not to work at night again in a hurry, but I must finish this despatch9. If I did not, I could not sleep, and you know sleep is what I require.”
“Good night, then.”
He looked up with his winning smile, and held out his lips. “Kiss me,” he said; “I never felt better.”
Lady Roehampton after a time slumbered47; how long she knew not, but when she woke, her lord was not at her side. She struck a light and looked at her watch. It was past three o’clock; she jumped out of bed, and, merely in her slippers48 and her robe de chambre, descended49 to the library. It was a large, long room, and Lord Roehampton worked at the extreme end of it. The candles were nearly burnt out. As she approached him, she perceived that he was leaning back in his chair. When she reached him, she observed he was awake, but he did not seem to recognise her. A dreadful feeling came over her. She took his hand. It was quite cold. Her intellect for an instant seemed to desert her. She looked round her with an air void almost of intelligence, and then rushing to the bell she continued ringing it till some of the household appeared. A medical man was near at hand, and in a few minutes arrived, but it was a bootless visit. All was over, and all had been over, he said, “for some time.”
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1
prorogation
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| n.休会，闭会 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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annually
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| adv.一年一次，每年 | |
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relaxation
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| n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娱乐 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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despatch
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| n./v.(dispatch)派遣；发送；n.急件；新闻报道 | |
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terse
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| adj.(说话，文笔)精炼的，简明的 | |
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irony
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| n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄 | |
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apprehended
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| 逮捕，拘押( apprehend的过去式和过去分词 )； 理解 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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repeal
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| n.废止，撤消；v.废止，撤消 | |
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speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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treasury
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| n.宝库；国库，金库；文库 | |
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catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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disturbances
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| n.骚乱( disturbance的名词复数 )；打扰；困扰；障碍 | |
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prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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bestow
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| v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费 | |
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tranquillity
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| n. 平静, 安静 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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heterogeneous
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| adj.庞杂的；异类的 | |
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domains
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| n.范围( domain的名词复数 )；领域；版图；地产 | |
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patriotic
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| adj.爱国的，有爱国心的 | |
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dominion
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| n.统治，管辖，支配权；领土，版图 | |
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33
counteract
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| vt.对…起反作用，对抗，抵消 | |
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ministry
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| n.(政府的)部；牧师 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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oratorical
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| adj.演说的，雄辩的 | |
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sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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inaccurately
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| 不精密地，不准确地 | |
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entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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42
remonstrances
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| n.抱怨，抗议( remonstrance的名词复数 ) | |
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43
futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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44
remonstrate
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| v.抗议，规劝 | |
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45
incurring
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| 遭受，招致，引起( incur的现在分词 ) | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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47
slumbered
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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49
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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