At the immediate
moment he had a chance of looming large on the political horizon. Carl
Perousse could not do anything of very great importance without him;
they were both too deeply involved together in the same schemes. In
point of fact, if Perousse could bring the Premier to a fall, the
Premier could do the same by Perousse. The two depended on each other;
and Lutera, conscious that if Perousse gained any fresh accession of
power, it would be to his, Lutera's, advantage, was gradually preparing
to gracefully resign his position in the younger and more ambitious
man's favour. But he was not altogether comfortable in his mind since
his last interview with the King. The King had shown unusual signs of
self-will and obstinacy. He had presumed to give a command affecting
the national policy; and, moreover, he had threatened, if his command
were not obeyed, to address Parliament himself on the subject in hand,
from the Throne. Such an unaccustomed, unconstitutional idea was very
upsetting to the Premier's mind. It had cost him a sleepless night; and
when he woke to a new day's work, he was in an extremely irritable
humour. He was doubtful how to act;--for to complain of the King would
not do; and to enlighten the members of the Cabinet as to his Majesty's
declared determination to dispose amicably of certain difficulties with
a foreign power, which the Ministry had fully purposed fanning up into
a flame of war, might possibly awaken a storm of dissension and
discussion.
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