ny a joke was cracked at the unsuccessful candidate's expense. Some
believed he had retired behind bolt and bar; others that he was
defying fortune at a late dinner. If the latter statement were true,
Sommerset's company must have been small. The Earl and Sir Jonas had
long since washed their hands of him, as incorrigibly obstinate. The
more influential of his supporters kept out of sight, being rather
ashamed of the losing side; and, I grieve to say, the barrels had
utterly shaken the faith of many a voteless adherent, the freeholders
of our streets and lanes, who now shouted Stopford instead of
Cloudesly for ever. Some there were, nevertheless, with souls above
barrels--men who had votes, and men who had none--and they collected
their forces at the foot of the main street, as vantage-ground from
which to groan at the above-mentioned procession, and inform Mr
Stopford of their intentions to unseat him for bribery and corruption.

Great Tattleton was not a fighting place--a serious riot had never
occurred within the memory of its 'oldest inhabitant;' yet on that
evening quiet people began to feel uneasy; and my particular friend,
Miss Croply, had selected it as a fitting occasion for her tea-party.
Miss Croply was a maiden lady of some fifty years, and great note
among us. She drew dividends at the bank; kept her own establishment,
consisting of a maid and a boy; and gave select parties. Moreover,
Miss Croply was a Tory after her own fashion. She said there was
nothing she hated but Radicals and reformers, for all they wanted was
to bring down the respectable people, and maybe break the banks. On
these principles, she had been in great fervour for Sommerset
Cloudesly; and by way of testifying that his defeat had not broken her
spirit, Miss Croply assembled the Priors, myself, and two or three
other favoured friends, to tea and crumpets prepared by her own fair
hands. These requisites were on the table, and the party assembled in
the little drawing-room, all but Lily, whom her mother had left to
manage some domestic matter (the old lady was particular at times);
but at its conclusion, Lily was to come through the lane, over the
fields, and up Miss Croply's garden, to avoid the crowd, and shew the
beautiful new bonnet she had received that morning as a present from
her aunt. We all knew Lily to be exact; but the hour had come, and not
the woman.

'Don't draw that curtain, if you please, Mr Prior; I would not gratify
the