air at a mechanics' meeting with better grace or
more alacrity, or spin out his half-hour's speech with greater ease
and volubility. And then he was a born gentleman, which is so great a
recommendation for a Radical. So that, in fact, young Mr. Westmacott,
though he did not spend so much money as old Griffenbottom,
was almost as popular in the borough. There was no doubt about
Griffenbottom and Westmacott,--if only the borough would have
listened to its wise men and confined itself to the political
guardianship of such excellent representatives! But the foolish men
prevailed over the wise men, and it was decided that there should be
a contest.

It was an evil day for Griffenbottom when it was suggested to him
that he should bring a colleague with him. Griffenbottom knew what
this meant almost as well as the learned pundit whose words we
have quoted. Griffenbottom had not been blessed with uncontested
elections, and had run through many perils. He had spent what he was
accustomed to call, when speaking of his political position among his
really intimate friends, "a treasure" in maintaining the borough. He
must often have considered within himself whether his whistle was
worth the price. He had petitioned and been petitioned against, and
had had evil things said of him, and had gone through the very heat
of the fire of political warfare. But he had kept his seat, and now
at last,--so he thought,--the ease and comfort of an unopposed return
was to repay him for everything. Alas! how all this was changed; how
his spirits sank within him, when he received that high-toned letter
from his confidential agent, Mr. Trigger, in which he was invited
to suggest the name of a colleague! "I'm sure you'll be rejoiced to
hear, for the sake of the old borough," said Mr. Trigger, "that we
feel confident of carrying the two seats." Could Mr. Trigger have
heard the remarks which his patron made on reading that letter,
Mr. Trigger would have thought that Mr. Griffenbottom was the most
ungrateful member of Parliament in the world. What did not Mr.
Griffenbottom owe to the borough of Percycross? Did he not owe all
his position in the world, all his friends, the fact that he was
to be seen on the staircases of Cabinet Ministers, and that he was
called "honourable friend" by the sons of dukes,--did he not owe it
all to the borough of Percycross? Mr. Trigger and other friends of
his, felt secure in their conviction that they had made a man of
M