Lord Crowborough and Colonel Eldridge had retired for their after-luncheon cigars to another lower terrace overlooking the garden slopes. Lord Crowborough felt it necessary to say something about Sir William's elevation to the Order which he himself adorned, but was not quite sure how his friend would take it. Vague rumours of a dispute had reached Pershore Castle, though nothing was known there as to the grounds of it. Perhaps Edmund Eldridge objected to his brother being elevated above himself. His prejudices were not always reasonable.
"I'm sure William will be very useful to us," said Lord Crowborough, expansively. "He's made an extraordinary success of everything he has done so far. A very capable fellow, William! We've plenty of room for men like him. A man of family too! So many of the people they send to us don't know who their grandfathers were."
"Or else they do know, and keep it dark."
Lord Crowborough laughed appreciatively. "That's very good," he said. "Very good indeed! I must remember that. Or else they do know, and keep it dark. Yes, you've just about hit it. There was a fellow I met a short time ago—I forget his name, which I'd never heard of, or what he called himself—impossible to keep all these new titles in your head—but he told me himself that his grandfather had served behind the counter of a grocer's shop. Well, he didn't keep it dark, to do him justice, and I think they'd only made him a baronet, now I come to think of it, and not a peer. But 'pon my word with half of 'em it's just paying down money, and up they go. Hardly any pretence of having done anything to deserve it. Of course William has made himself useful. Nothing to complain of there."
"They wanted him either in the Lords or the Commons, as I understand. There's no question of his buying a title."
"Eh? Oh, no! Besides, such things aren't done. Nobody really buys a title. There's always some reason for it. With him there's a good one."
"Yes, but— People aren't saying that he has paid money for it, are they?"
"Eh? Oh, I dare say he made a handsome subscription to Party funds, you know. He can afford it. He's a rich fellow, William. That wouldn't be buying his title."
"It wouldn't be far off. Is it the general opinion that he has done that?"
"General opinion? My dear fellow, what does general opinion matter? If he's told you definitely that he hasn't—!"