Various suggestions were made. Some said that as Mr Alf had a large share in the newspaper, and as its success was now an established fact, he himself intended to retire from the laborious position which he filled, and was therefore free to go into Parliament. Others were of opinion that this was the beginning of a new era in literature, of a new order of things, and that from this time forward editors would frequently be found in Parliament, if editors were employed of sufficient influence in the world to find constituencies. Mr Broune whispered confidentially to Lady Carbury that the man was a fool for his pains, and that he was carried away by pride. 'Very clever,--and dashing,' said Mr Broune, 'but he never had ballast.' Lady Carbury shook her head. She did not want to give up Mr Alf if she could help it. He had never said a civil word of her in his paper;--but still she had an idea that it was well to be on good terms with so great a power. She entertained a mysterious awe for Mr Alf,--much in excess of any similar feeling excited by Mr Broune, in regard to whom her awe had been much diminished since he had made her an offer of marriage. Her sympathies as to the election of course were with Mr Melmotte. She believed in him thoroughly. She still thought that his nod might be the means of making Felix,--or if not his nod, then his money without the nod.
'I suppose he is very rich,' she said, speaking to Mr Broune respecting Mr Alf.
'I dare say he has put by something. But this election will cost him £10,000;--and if he goes on as he is doing now, he had better allow another £10,000 for action for libel. They've already declared that they will indict the paper.'
'Do you believe about the Austrian Insurance Company?' This was a matter as to which Mr Melmotte was supposed to have retired from Paris not with clean hands.
'I don't believe the "Evening Pulpit" can prove it,--and I'm sure that they can't attempt to prove it without an expense of three or four thousand pounds. That's a game in which nobody wins but the lawyers. I wonder at Alf. I should have thought that he would have known how to get all said that he wanted to have said without running with his head into the lion's mouth. He has been so clever up to this! God knows he has been bitter enough, but he has always sailed within the wind.'