Lord Boanerges did know almost everything, but he did not know that; and so Miss Dunstable went on:—
"'Did I not own Jehovah's power
How vain were all I know.'"
"Exactly, exactly, Miss Dunstable," said his lordship; "but why not own the power and trace the flower as well? perhaps one might help the other."
Upon the whole I am afraid that Lord Boanerges got the best of it. But then that is his line. He has been getting the best of it all his life.
It was observed by all that the duke was especially attentive to young Mr. Frank Gresham, the gentleman on whom and on whose wife Miss Dunstable had seized so vehemently. This Mr. Gresham was the richest commoner in the county, and it was rumoured that at the next election he would be one of the members for the East Riding. Now the duke had little or nothing to do with the East Riding, and it was well known that young Gresham would be brought forward as a strong conservative. But nevertheless, his acres were so extensive and his money so plentiful that he was worth a duke's notice. Mr. Sowerby also was almost more than civil to him, as was natural, seeing that this very young man by a mere scratch of his pen could turn a scrap of paper into a bank-note of almost fabulous value.
"So you have the East Barsetshire hounds at Boxall hill; have you not?" said the duke.
"The hounds are there," said Frank. "But I am not the master."
"Oh! I understood"
"My father has them. But he finds Boxall hill more centrical than Greshamsbury. The dogs and horses have to go shorter distances."
"Boxall hill is very centrical."
"Oh, exactly!"
"And your young gorse coverts are doing well?"
"Pretty well—gorse won't thrive everywhere I find. I wish it would."
"That's just what I say to Fothergill; and then where there's much woodland you can't get the vermin to leave it."
"But we haven't a tree at Boxall hill," said Mrs. Gresham.
"Ah, yes; you're new there, certainly; you've enough of it at Greshamsbury in all conscience. There's a larger extent of wood there than we have; isn't there, Fothergill?"
Mr. Fothergill said that the Greshamsbury woods were very extensive, but that, perhaps, he thought
"Oh, ah! I know," said the duke. "The Black Forest in its old days was nothing to Gatherum woods, according to Fothergill. And then again, nothing in East Barsetshire could be equal to anything in West Barsetshire. Isn't that it; eh, Fothergill?"
Mr. Fothergill professed that he had been brought up in that faith and intended to die in it.
"Your exotics at Boxall hill are very fine, magnificent!" said Mr. Sowerby.
