reappearance. Gracious, but modestly reserved, he spoke little, listened
beautifully. Many of the questions which agitated all around him had
grown up into importance since his day of action; nor in his retirement
had he traced their progressive development, with their changeful effects
upon men and parties. But a man who has once gone deeply into practical
politics might sleep in the Cave of Trophonius for twenty years, and
find, on waking, very little to learn. Darrell regained the level of
the day, and seized upon all the strong points on which men were divided,
with the rapidity of a prompt and comprehensive intellect, his judgment
perhaps the clearer from the freshness of long repose and the composure
of dispassionate survey. When partisans wrangled as to what should have
been done, Darrell was silent; when they asked what should be done, out
came one of his terse sentences, and a knot was cut. Meanwhile it is
true this man, round whom expectations grouped and rumour buzzed, was in
neither House of Parliament; but that was rather a delay to his energies
than a detriment to his consequence.

Important constituencies, anticipating a vacancy, were already on the
look-out for him; a smaller constituency, in the interim, Carr Vipont
undertook to procure him any day. There was always a Vipont ready to
accept something, even the Chiltern Hundreds. But Darrell, not without
reason, demurred at re-entering the House of Commons after an absence of
seventeen years. He had left it with one of those rare reputations which
no wise man likes rashly to imperil. The Viponts sighed. He would
certainly be more useful in the Commons than the Lords, but still in the
Lords he would be of great use. They would want a debating lord, perhaps
a lord acquainted with law in the coming CRISIS,--if he preferred the
peerage? Darrell demurred still. The man's modesty was insufferable;
his style of speaking might not suit that august assembly: and as to law,
he could never now be a law lord; he should be but a ci-devant advocate,