ue?"

"The idea is ingenious, but I fear it would hardly work. Dreepdaily is
well known to be the head-quarters of the confederation, and the name of
Provost Binkie is inseparably connected with it."

"By the way, M'Corkindale, it struck me that you looked rather sweet upon
Miss Binkie last evening."

"I did. In fact I popped the question," replied Robert calmly.

"Indeed! Were you accepted?"

"Conditionally. If we gain the election she becomes Mrs M'Corkindale--if
we lose, I suppose I shall have to return to Glasgow in a state of
celibacy."

"A curious contract, certainly! Well, Bob, since your success is involved
in mine, we must fight a desperate battle."

"I wish, though, that Mr Sholto Douglas had been kind enough to keep out
of the way," observed M'Corkindale.

The morning of the day appointed for the nomination dawned upon the people
of Dreepdaily with more than usual splendour. For once, there was no mist
upon the surrounding hills, and the sky was clear as sapphire. I rose
early to study my speech, which had received the finishing touches from
M'Corkindale on the evening before; and I flatter myself it was as pretty
a piece of Whig rhetoric as ever was spouted from a hustings. Toddy Tam,
indeed, had objected, upon seeing a draft, that "there was nae banes intil
it;" but the political economist was considered by the committee a
superior authority on such subjects to Gills. After having carefully
conned it over, I went down stairs, where the whole party were already
assembled. A large blue and yellow flag, with the inscription, "DUNSHUNNER
AND THE GOOD CAUSE!" was hung out from the window, to the intense delight
of a gang of urchins, who testified to the popularity of the candidate by
ceaseless vociferation to "poor out." The wall opposite, however, bore
some memoranda of an opposite tendency, for I could see some large
placards, newly pasted up, on which the words, "ELECTORS OF DREEPDAILY!
YOU ARE SOLD BY THE CLIQUE!" were conspicuous in enormous capitals. I
heard, too, something like a ballad chanted, in which my name seemed to be
coupled, irreverently, with that of the independent Gills.

Provost Binkie--who, in common with the rest of the company, wore upon his
bosom an enormous blue and buff cockade, prepared by the fair hands of his
daughter--saluted me with great cordiality. I ought to observe that the
Provost had been kept as much as possible in the dark regarding the actual
results of the canva