cher college companions, whose convictions
were stronger than his power of expressing them, was selected as
Candidate for a remote constituency, where speakers were not easily
obtained. The glib Barrister was remembered, and appealed to. At an
immense sacrifice of time and money, he rushed to the rescue, his
travelling and hotel expenses being defrayed by the Candidate. He spoke
much, he spoke triumphantly; he referred, in touching terms, to the ties
of ancient friendship that bound him to the noblest and best of men, the
Candidate; and, when the latter was eventually elected, it was stated in
every Metropolitan evening paper that he owed his success chiefly to the
eloquence and energy of the able Barrister who had pleaded his cause.
Henceforward there was no peace, politically speaking, for the
Barrister. Swifter than swift CAMILLA he scoured the plain facts of
political controversy at meeting after meeting, until they glowed under
the dazzled eyes of innumerable electors. Where Leagues congregated, or
Unions met, or Associations resolved, there he was to be found, always
eager, in the fore-front of the battle. He became the cheap jackal of
the large political lions who roar after their food throughout the
length and breadth of the land, and picked up scraps in the shape of
votes of thanks to chairmen. He figured at political receptions, and
eventually contested a hopeless Constituency, with the assistance of the
party funds. Having, by his complete defeat, established a claim on the
gratitude of his party, he applied successively for a Recordership, a
Police Magistracy, and a County Court Judgeship, but was compelled to be
satisfied temporarily with the post of Revising Barrister. Yet, though
he was disgusted with the base ingratitude of time-serving politicians,
he was by no means disheartened, for he had long since become convinced
that the best method of self-seeking was to seek office, and to clamour
if that should be refused. Finally, after having paid to have his
portrait engraved in a struggling party journal, and having appended to
it a description, in which he compared himself to ERSKINE and the
younger PITT, he became an annoyance to those who were his leaders at
the Bar, or in politics. He was, therefore, appointed Chief Justice of
the Soudan; and after distributing British justice to savages, at a
cheap rate, for several years, he retired upon a pension, and was heard
of no more.

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