risk than either he or Sandy Pringle
counted upon, for the suggestion carefully circulated by Fortescue,
Toutwell, and the Tory agents, and feebly denied even by Mr. Hogarth's
own Swinton agent, that he was a most unpopular man in the county, and
that it was a mistake on the earl's part to support him, very nearly
brought down a member of the Reform Club to force him to retire after
his canvass was made, and his majority counted as small but safe. This
shabby proceeding was only averted by the firmness of the Newtown
Whigs, who were indignant at such treatment of a man so independent and
so able as Mr. Hogarth, and they declared to the earl, through their
agent, that if he did not with his party support Cross Hall for the
burghs, they would set up Mr. Sinclair for the county and vote as one
man for him, so that Lord Frederic would have an overwhelming majority
over the Honourable James.

This threat of a certain defeat for the county restored the earl to his
original intention of giving a mild support to Hogarth, who certainly
would be a better man than Fortescue. There was the usual amount of
personal abuse levelled at the banker's clerk--neither his father nor
his mother was spared--there were caricatures of him in mean lodgings
and shabby raiment, doing things for himself, which he recollected
doing, and which he was not ashamed of having done. If Francis had been
made a duke, instead of merely trying to be a member of parliament, he
would never have been ashamed of his past life, nor would he have been
distressed or disturbed by the unexpected honour. He would have taken
it as a matter of course. His speech from the hustings was clear,
manly, and dignified, and far surpassed that of Fortescue, even with
Toutwell's diligent prompting. Mr. Sinclair's speech was received with
cheers and hisses, but in print it read exceedingly well.

Then followed Mr. Toutwell's very rhetorical, very sarcastic, and, as
his own party said, very telling speech; but to Jane, who read this
report with the greatest interest, it told nothing.

The result of the poll was a majority of three in favour of Francis
Hogarth, Esq., of Cross Hall, who was accordingly declared duly
elected, and took his seat along with Lord Frederic (who had got in for
the county by a majority of twenty-seven, much to the earl's chagrin,
who had supported Cross Hall for nothing, after all) and the other
members of the new parliament.

Chapter XV.

Mrs. Ph