ad a
terrible snatching of cockades last time."

"Snatching! let them try to snatch mine, and see what they'll get by
it!" cried Sydney.

"What would they get but the ribbons?" asked Margaret. Sydney drew her
to the light, opened the bows of his cockade, and displayed a
corking-pin stuck upright under each bow.

"Isn't it horrid?" said Sophia.

"Horrid! It is not half so horrid as fish-hooks."

And Sydney related how fish-hooks had actually been used during the last
election, to detain with their barbs the fingers of snatchers of
cockades. "Which do you use?" he asked of William Levitt.

"Neither. My father won't let me do anything more than just wear a
cockade and watch-ribbon. I have got a watch-guard too, you see, for
fear of losing my watch. But you won't get my cockade off a bit the
sooner for my having no spikes under it. I have a particular way of
fastening it on. Only try, any day. I defy you to it."

"Hush, hush, boys! don't talk of defiance," said Mrs Grey. "I am sure,
I wish there were no such things as elections--in country places, at
least. They make nothing but mischief. And, indeed, Hester, my dear,
it is a great pity that those should meddle who can keep out of them, as
your husband fairly may. Whichever way he might vote, a great many
disagreeable remarks would be made; and if he votes as he says, for Mr
Lowry, I really think, and so does Mr Grey, that it will be a serious
injury to him in his profession."

Hester replied, with some gravity, that people could never do their
whole duty without causing disagreeable remarks; and seldom without
suffering serious injury.

"But why should he vote?" persisted Mrs Grey.

"Because he considers it his duty, which is commonly his reason for
whatever he does."

"An excellent reason too: but I rather thought--I always fancied he
defended acting from impulse. But I beg your pardon, my dear:" and she
nodded and winked towards the young people, who were trying the
impression of a new seal at the centre table, heeding nothing about
either duty or impulse. Margaret had fixed the attention of the boys
upon this curious seal of hers, in order to obviate a snatching of
cockades, or other political feud, upon the spot.

"It seems as if I could speak about nothing but your husband, my dear,"
continued Mrs Grey, in a whisper: "but you know I feel towards him as
towards a son, as I have told him. Do you think he has quite, entirely,
got over his