Gresham that he would himself take the place left
vacant by Mr. Bonteen--of course retaining his seat in the Cabinet.
"I should hardly have ventured to suggest such an arrangement to your
Grace," said the Prime Minister.
"Feeling that it might be so, I thought that I would venture to
ask," said the Duke. "I am sure you know that I am the last man to
interfere as to place or the disposition of power."
"Quite the last man," said Mr. Gresham.
"But it has always been held that the Board of Trade is not
incompatible with the Peerage."
"Oh dear, yes."
"And I can feel myself nearer to this affair of mine there than I can
elsewhere."
Mr. Gresham of course had no objection to urge. This great nobleman,
who was now asking for Mr. Bonteen's shoes, had been Chancellor of
the Exchequer, and would have remained Chancellor of the Exchequer
had not the mantle of his nobility fallen upon him. At the present
moment he held an office in which peers are often temporarily
shelved, or put away, perhaps, out of harm's way for the time, so
that they may be brought down and used when wanted, without having
received crack or detriment from that independent action into which a
politician is likely to fall when his party is "in" but he is still
"out".
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