doesn't wish to get at them," said the
gentleman from the club,--"particularly as we are safe without them."
Then he went into statistics, and succeeded in proving to Sir Thomas
that there would be a hard fight. Sir Thomas, who was much pressed as
to time, took a day to consider. "Did Mr. Griffenbottom intend to
fight the battle with clean hands?" The gentleman from the club was
eager in declaring that everything would be done in strict accordance
with the law. He could give no guarantee as to expenses, but presumed
it would be about L300,--perhaps L400,--certainly under L500. The
other party no doubt would bribe. They always did. And on their
behalf,--on behalf of Westmacott and Co.,--there would be treating,
and intimidation, and subornation, and fictitious voting, and every
sin to which an election is subject. It always was so with the
Liberals at Percycross. But Sir Thomas might be sure that on his side
everything would be--"serene." Sir Thomas at last consented to go
down to Percycross, and see one or two of his proposed supporters.

He did go down, and was considerably disgusted. Mr. Trigger took him
in hand and introduced him to three or four gentlemen in the borough.
Sir Thomas, in his first interview with Mr. Trigger, declared his
predilection for purity. "Yes, yes; yes, yes; of course," said Mr.
Trigger. Mr. Trigger, seeing that Sir Thomas had come among them
as a stranger to whom had been offered the very great honour of
standing for the borough of Percycross,--offered to him before
he had subscribed a shilling to any of the various needs of the
borough,--was not disposed to listen to dictation. But Sir Thomas
insisted. "It's as well that we should understand each other at
once," said Sir Thomas. "I should throw up the contest in the middle
of it,--even if I were winning,--if I suspected that money was being
spent improperly." How often has the same thing been said by a
candidate, and what candidate ever has thrown up the sponge when he
was winning? Mr. Trigger was at first disposed to tell Sir Thomas
that he was interfering in things beyond his province. Had it not
been that the day was late, and that the Liberals were supposed to
be hard at work,--that the candidate was wanted at once, Mr. Trigger
would have shown his spirit. As it was he could only assent with a
growl, and say that he had supposed all that was to be taken as a
matter of course.

"But I desire to have it absolutely understood by all those