Thenthereweresolemncabinetsheld，atwhichshepresided，andMrsFinnandLocockassisted。Atothercabinetsitissupposedthat，letaleaderbeeversoautocraticbydispositionandsuperiorbyintelligence，stillhemustnotunfrequentlyyieldtotheopinionofhiscolleagues。ButinthiscabinettheDuchessalwayshadherownway，thoughshewasverypersistentinaskingforcounsel。Locockwasfrightenedaboutthemoney。Hithertomoneyhadcomewithoutaword，outofthecommon，spokentotheDuke。TheDukehadalwayssignedcertaincheques，buttheyhadbeennormalcheques，andthemoneyinitsnaturalcoursehadflownintomeetthem——butnowhemustbeaskedtosignabnormalcheques。That，indeed，hadalreadybeendone。butstillthemoneyhadbeenthere。Alargebalance，suchashadalwaysstoodtohiscredit，wouldstandabiggerracketthanhadyetbeenmade。ButLocockwassurethatthebalanceoughtnottobemuchfurtherreduced，——andthatstepsmustbetaken。Somethingmustbesold！TheideaofsellinganythingwasdreadfultothemindofLocock！Orelsemoneymustbeborrowed！NowthemanagementofthePalliserpropertyhadalwaysbeenconductedonprinciplesantagonistictoborrowing。’ButhisGracehasneverspenthisincome，’saidtheDuchess。Thatwastrue。Butthemoney，asitshowedatendencytoheapitselfup，hadbeenusedforthepurchaseofotherbitsofproperty，orfortheameliorationoftheestatesgenerally。’Youdon’tmeantosaythatwecan’tgetmoneyifwewantit！’Locockwasprofuseinhisassurancethatanyamountofmoneycouldbeobtained，——onlythatsomethinghadtobedone。’Thenletsomethingbedone，’
saidtheDuchess，goingonwithhergeneralplans。’Manypeoplearerich，’saidtheDuchessafterwardstoherfriend，’andsomepeopleareveryrichindeed。butnobodyseemstoberichenoughtohavereadymoneytodojustwhathewishes。Itallgoesintoagrandsumtotal，whichisnevertobetouchedwithoutafeelingofsacrifice。Isupposeyouhavealwaysenoughforanything。’
ItwaswellknownthatthepresentMrsFinn，asMadameGoesler，hadbeenawealthywoman。
’Indeed，no，——veryfarfromthat。Ihaven’tashilling。’
’Whathashappened？’askedtheDuchess，pretendingtobefrightened。