Part 56 (1/2)
”When I wished for the Secretarys.h.i.+p, my dear Glencore,” said he, ”I fancied the office as it used to be in olden times, when one played the great game of diplomacy with kings and ministers for antagonists, and the world at large for spectators; when consummate skill and perfect secrecy were objects of moment, and when grand combinations rewarded one's labor with all the certainty of a mathematical problem. Every move on the board could be calculated beforehand, no disturbing influences could derange plans that never were divulged till they were accomplished. All that is past and gone; our Const.i.tution, grown every day more and more democratic, rules by the House of Commons. Questions whose treatment demands all the skill of a statesman and all the address of a man of the world come to be discussed in open Parliament; correspondence is called for, despatches and even private notes are produced; and while the State you are opposed to revels in the security of secrecy, _your_ whole game is revealed to the world in the shape of a blue-book.
”Nor is this all: the debaters on these nice and intricate questions, involving the most far-reaching speculation of statesmans.h.i.+p, are men of trade and enterprise, who view every international difficulty only in its relation to their peculiar interests. National greatness, honor, and security are nothing,--the maintenance of that equipoise which preserves peace is nothing,--the nice management which, by the exhibition of courtesy here, or of force there, is nothing compared to alliances that secure us ample supplies of raw material, and abundant markets for manufactures. Diplomacy has come to this!”
”But you must have known all this before you accepted office; you had seen where the course of events led to, and were aware that the House ruled the country.”
”Perhaps I did not recognize the fact to its full extent. Perhaps I fancied I could succeed in modifying the system,” said Upton, cautiously.
”A hopeless undertaking!” said Glencore.
”I'm not quite so certain of that,” said Upton, pausing for a while as he seemed to reflect. When he resumed, it was in a lighter and more flippant tone: ”To make short of it, I saw that I could not keep office on these conditions, but I did not choose to go out as a beaten man. For my pride's sake I desired that my reasons should be reserved for myself alone; for my actual benefit it was necessary that I should have a hold over my colleagues in office. These two conditions were rather difficult to combine, but I accomplished them.
”I had interested the King so much in my views as to what the Foreign Office ought to be that an interchange of letters took place, and his Majesty imparted to me his fullest confidence in disparagement of the present system. This correspondence was a perfect secret to the whole Cabinet; but when it had arrived at a most confidential crisis, I suggested to the King that Cloudeslie should be consulted. I knew well that this would set the match to the train. No sooner did Cloudeslie learn that such a correspondence had been carried on for months without his knowledge, views stated, plans promulgated, and the King's pleasure taken on questions not one of which should have been broached without his approval and concurrence, than he declared he would not hold the seals of office another hour. The King, well knowing his temper, and aware what a terrific exposure might come of it, sent for me, and asked what was to be done. I immediately suggested my own resignation as a sacrifice to the difficulty and to the wounded feelings of the Duke.
Thus did I achieve what I sought for. I imposed a heavy obligation on the King and the Premier, and I have secured secrecy as to my motives, which none will ever betray.
”I only remained for the debate of the other night, for I wanted a little public enthusiasm to mark the fall of the curtain.”
”So that you still hold them as your debtors?” asked Glencore.
”Without doubt, I do; my claim is a heavy one.”
”And what would satisfy it?”
”If my health would stand England,” said Upton, leisurely, ”I'd take a peerage; but as this murky atmosphere would suffocate me, and as I don't care for the latter without the political privileges, I have determined to have the 'Garter.'”
”The Garter! a blue ribbon!” exclaimed Glencore, as though the insufferable coolness with which the pretension was announced might justify any show of astonishment.
”Yes; I had some thoughts of India, but the journey deters me,--in fact, as I have enough to live on, I 'd rather devote the remainder of my days to rest, and the care of this shattered const.i.tution.” It is impossible to convey to the reader the tender and affectionate compa.s.sion with which Sir Horace seemed to address these last words to himself.
”Do you ever look upon yourself as the luckiest fellow in Europe, Upton?” asked Glencore.
”No,” sighed he; ”I occasionally fancy I have been hardly dealt with by fortune. I have only to throw my eyes around me, and see a score of men, richer and more elevated than myself, not one of whom has capacity for even a third-rate task, so that really the self-congratulation you speak of has not occurred to me.”
”But, after all, you have had a most successful career--”
”Look at the matter this way, Glencore; there are about six--say six men in all Europe--who have a little more common sense than all the rest of the world: I could tell you the names of five of them.” If there was a supreme boastfulness in the speech, the modest delivery of it completely mystified the hearer, and he sat gazing with wonderment at the man before him.
CHAPTER XLV. SOME SAD REVERIES
”Have you any plans, Glencore?” asked Upton, as they posted along towards Dover.
”None,” was the brief reply.
”Nor any destination you desire to reach?”
”Just as little.”
”Such a state as yours, then, I take it, is about the best thing going in life. Every move one makes is attended with so many adverse considerations,--every goal so separated from us by unforeseen difficulties,--that an existence, even without what is called an object, has certain great advantages.”
”I am curious to hear them,” said the other, half cynically.