 him as uncle, and, to put aside a spirit of mockery rising
within her, she hinted a wish to hear Seymour Austin's opinion of Mr. Tuckham.
He condensed it in an interrogative tone: »The other extreme?« The Tory extreme
of Radical Nevil Beauchamp. She assented. Mr. Tuckham was at that moment
prophesying the Torification of mankind; not as the trembling venturesome idea
which we cast on doubtful winds, but as a ship is launched to ride the waters,
with huzzas for a thing accomplished. Mr. Austin raised his shoulders
imperceptibly, saying to Miss Halkett: »The turn will come to us as to others -
and go. Nothing earthly can escape that revolution. We have to meet it with a
policy, and let it pass with measures carried and our hands washed of some of
our party sins. I am, I hope, true to my party, but the enthusiasm of party I do
not share. He is right, however, when he accuses the nation of cowardice for the
last ten years. One third of the Liberals have been with us at heart, and dared
not speak, and we dared not say what we wished. We accepted a compact that
satisfied us both - satisfied us better than when we were opposed by Whigs -
that is, the Liberal reigned, and we governed: and I should add, a very clever
juggler was our common chief. Now we have the consequences of hollow
peacemaking, in a suffrage that bids fair to extend to the wearing of hats and
boots for a qualification. The moral of it seems to be that cowardice is even
worse for nations than for individual men, though the consequences come on us
more slowly.«
    »You spoke of party sins,« Miss Halkett said incredulously.
    »I shall think we are the redoubtable party when we admit the charge.«
    »Are you alluding to the landowners?«
    »Like the land itself, they have rich veins in heavy matter. For instance,
the increasing wealth of the country is largely recruiting our ranks; and we
shall be tempted to mistake numbers for strength, and perhaps again be reading
Conservatism for a special thing of our own - a fortification. That would be a
party sin. Conservatism is a principle of government; the best because the
safest for an old country; and the guarantee that we do not lose the wisdom of
past experience in our struggle with what is doubtful. Liberalism stakes too
much on the chance of gain. It is uncomfortably seated on half-a-dozen horses;
and it has to feed them too
