om inside out. Mr. Griffenbottom and his conduct had on
various former occasions been the subject of parliamentary petitions
under the old form; but on such occasions the chief delinquent
himself was never examined. Now Mr. Griffenbottom would be made to
tell all that he knew, not only of his present, but of his past,
iniquities. And yet Mr. Griffenbottom told very little; and it
certainly did seem to the bystanders, that even the opposing counsel,
even the judge on the bench, abstained from their prey because
he was a member of Parliament. It was notorious to all the world
that Griffenbottom had debased the borough; had so used its venal
tendencies as to make that systematic which had before been too
frequent indeed, but yet not systematized; that he had trained the
rising generation of Percycross politicians to believe in political
corruption;--and yet he escaped that utter turning inside out of
which men had spoken.

The borough had cost him a great deal of money certainly; but as far
as he knew the money had been spent legally. It had at least always
been his intention before an election was commenced that nothing
illegal should be done. He had no doubt always afterwards paid sums
of money the use of which he did not quite understand, and as to some
of which he could not but fear that it had been doubtfully applied.
The final accounts as to the last election had not reached him, but
he did not expect to be charged with improper expenses. There no
doubt would be something for beer, but that was unavoidable. As to
Mr. Glump he knew literally nothing of the man,--nor had he wanted
any such man's assistance. Twenty votes indeed! Let them look at his
place upon the poll. There had been a time in the day when twenty
votes this way or that might be necessary to Sir Thomas. He had been
told that it was so. On the day of the election his own position
on the poll had been so certain to him, that he should not have
cared,--that is, for himself,--had he heard that Glump was buying
votes against him. He considered it to be quite out of the question
that Glump should have bought votes for him,--with any purpose of
serving him. And so Mr. Griffenbottom escaped from the adverse
counsel and from the judge.

There was very little in the examination of Sir Thomas Underwood to
interest any one. No one really suspected him of corrupt practices.
In all such cases the singular part of the matter is that everybody,
those who are concern