e came to the eloquence of Mr. Pabsby. "If I
can only see my way clearly, Sir Thomas," were the last words which
Mr. Pabsby spoke.

"He'll give one to Griffenbottom, certainly," said Mr. Trigger.
"Westmacott 'll probably have the other. I thought perhaps your title
might have gone down with him, but it didn't seem to take."

All this was anything but promising, anything but comfortable; and
yet before he went to bed that night Sir Thomas had undertaken to
stand. In such circumstances it is very hard for a man to refuse. He
feels that a certain amount of trouble has been taken on his behalf,
that retreat will be cowardly, and that the journey for nothing will
be personally disagreeable to his own feelings. And then, too, there
was that renewed ambition in his breast,--an ambition which six
months ago he would have declared to be at rest for ever,--but
which prompted him, now as strongly as ever, to go forward and do
something. It is so easy to go and see;--so hard to retreat when one
has seen. He had not found Percycross to be especially congenial
to him. He had felt himself to be out of his element there,--among
people with whom he had no sympathies; and he felt also that he had
been unfitted for this kind of thing by the life which he had led for
the last few years. Still he undertook to stand.

"Who is coming forward on the other side?" he asked Mr. Trigger late
at night, when this matter had been decided in regard to himself.

"Westmacott, of course," said Trigger, "and I'm told that the real
Rads of the place have got hold of a fellow named Moggs."

"Moggs!" ejaculated Sir Thomas.

"Yes;--Moggs. The Young Men's Reform Association is bringing him
forward. He's a Trades' Union man, and a Reform Leaguer, and all that
kind of thing. I shouldn't be surprised if he got in. They say he's
got money."

CHAPTER XXI.

THE LIBERALS OF PERCYCROSS.

Yes;--Ontario Moggs was appalled, delighted, exalted, and nearly
frightened out of his wits by an invitation, conveyed to him by
certain eager spirits of the town, to come down and stand on the real
radical interest for the borough of Percycross. The thing was not
suggested to him till a day or two after Sir Thomas had been sounded,
and he was then informed that not an hour was to be lost. The
communication was made in the little back parlour of the Cheshire
Cheese, and Moggs was expected to give an answer then and there. He
stood with his hand on his brow for five