it. Canvassing appears to be mixed up in the system; at least
I hope I have shown that it will not do to reverse the process, for
fear of changes leading to a sovereignty of the austere and antipathetic
Intellect in our England, that would be an inaccessible tyranny of a
very small minority, necessarily followed by tremendous convulsions.

CHAPTER XIX. LORD PALMET, AND CERTAIN ELECTORS OF BEVISHAM

Meantime the candidates raised knockers, rang bells, bowed, expounded
their views, praised their virtues, begged for votes, and greatly
and strangely did the youngest of them enlarge his knowledge of his
countrymen. But he had an insatiable appetite, and except in relation to
Mr. Cougham, considerable tolerance. With Cougham, he was like a young
hound in the leash. They had to run as twins; but Beauchamp's conjunct
would not run, he would walk. He imposed his experience on Beauchamp,
with an assumption that it must necessarily be taken for the law of
Beauchamp's reason in electoral and in political affairs, and this
was hard on Beauchamp, who had faith in his reason. Beauchamp's early
canvassing brought Cougham down to Bevisham earlier than usual in the
days when he and Seymour Austin divided the borough, and he inclined to
administer correction to the Radically-disposed youngster. 'Yes, I
have gone all over that,' he said, in speech sometimes, in manner
perpetually, upon the intrusion of an idea by his junior. Cougham also,
Cougham had passed through his Radical phase, as one does on the road
to wisdom. So the frog telleth tadpoles: he too has wriggled most
preposterous of tails; and he has shoved a circular flat head into
corners unadapted to its shape; and that the undeveloped one should
dutifully listen to experience and accept guidance, is devoutly to be
hoped. Alas! Beauchamp would not be taught that though they were yoked
they stood at the opposite ends of the process of evolution.

The oddly coupled pair deplored, among their respective friends, the
disastrous Siamese twinship created by a haphazard improvident Liberal
camp. Look at us! they said:--Beauchamp is a young demagogue; Cougham
is chrysalis Tory. Such Liberals are the ruin of Liberalism; but of such
must it be composed when there is no new cry to loosen floods. It was
too late to think of an operation to divide them. They held the heart
of the cause between them, were bound fast together, and had to go on.
Beauchamp, with a furious tug of Radicalism,