Squire; the bookseller was liberal, and had invited the Ramsbotham
candidate to dinner. On this alarming symptom, Fitzjocelyn fell upon
Richardson, and talked, and talked, and talked, till the solicitor
could either bear it no longer, or feared for the Ormersfield agency,
and his vote was carried off as a captive.

This triumph alarmed Mrs. Frost and James, who knew how scrupulously
the Earl abstained from seeking anything like a favour at Northwold;
and they tried to impress this on Louis, but he was exalted far above
even understanding the remonstrance. It was all their
disinterestedness; he had no notion of that guarded pride which would
incur no obligation. No, no; if Jem would be beholden to no one, he
would accept all as personal kindness to himself. Expect a return! he
returned good-will--of course he would do any one a kindness. Claims,
involving himself! he would take care of that; and off he went laughing.

He came in the next day, announcing a still grander and more formidable
encounter. He had met Mr. Ramsbotham himself, and secured his promise
that, in case he failed in carrying his own man, he and the butcher
would support Mr. Frost.

The fact was, that Lord Fitzjocelyn's advocacy of the poacher, his free
address, his sympathy for 'the masses,' and his careless words, had
inspired expectations of his liberal views; Mr. Ramsbotham was not
sorry to establish a claim, and was likewise gratified by the frank
engaging manners, which increased the pleasure of being solicited by a
nobleman--a distinction of which he thought more than did all the
opposite party.

To put James beyond the perils of the casting vote was next the point.
Without divulging his tactics, Louis flew off one morning by the train,
made a sudden descent on the recluse banker at Ambleside, barbarously
used his gift of the ceaseless tongue, till the poor old man was nearly
distracted, touched his wife's tender heart with good old Mrs. Frost
and the two lovers, and made her promise to bring him comfortably and
quietly down to stay at Ormersfield and give his vote.

And so, when the election finally came on, Mr. Calcott found himself
left with only his faithful grocer to support his protege. Three votes
were given at once for the Reverend James Roland Frost Dynevor; the
bookseller followed as soon as he saw how the land lay; and Ramsbotham
and Co. swelled the majority as soon as they saw that their friend had
no chance.

Poor Mr. Po