"It's half an hour since the last message," observed the General.
Lord Southminster got up suddenly and went to the lobby-door. As he went the door into the parlours opened and his mother looked in.
"Any more news, my son?"
"No, mother. I was just going to ask."
The old lady came forward as her son went out—a splendid old creature in her lace and jewels—active still and upright in spite of her years. She made a little gesture as the men offered to move, and went and leaned by the old-fashioned open fire-place, such as her husband had put in at the restoration throughout the house.
"Your Eminence, can you reassure us?" she said, smiling.
The Cardinal, too, smiled as he turned in his chair.
"I am confident the Bill will pass," he said. "But I do not know yet what the price will be."
"Your Eminence means in England? Or elsewhere?" asked the chaplain abruptly.
"In England and elsewhere, father."