At the moment when the coalition was broken up he had been very bitter in spirit, apparently almost arrogant, holding himself aloof from his late colleagues,--and since that, troubles had come to him, which had aggravated the soreness of his heart.

His wife had died, and he had suffered much through his children.

What Lord Silverbridge had done at Oxford was matter of general conversation, and also what he had not done.
That the heir of the family should have become a renegade in politics was supposed greatly to have affected the father.

Now Lord Gerald had been expelled from Cambridge, and Silverbridge was on the turf in conjunction with Major Tifto! Something, too, had oozed out into general ears about Lady Mary,--something which should have been kept secret as the grave.

It had therefore come to pass that it was difficult even to address the Duke.
There was one man, and but one, who could do this with ease to himself;--and that man was at last put into motion at the instance of the leaders of the party.