s countenance, and breathed in the listless tones of
his voice. About this time a vacancy happening to occur for the
representation of Lansmere, Harley made it his special request to his
father that the family interest might be given to Audley Egerton,--a
request which was backed by all the influence of his lady mother,
who shared in the esteem which her son felt for his friend. The earl
yielded; and Egerton, accompanied by Harley, went down to Lansmere Park,
which adjoined the borough, in order to be introduced to the electors.
This visit made a notable epoch in the history of many personages who
figure in my narrative; but at present I content myself with saying
that circumstances arose which, just as the canvass for the new election
commenced, caused both L'Estrange and Audley to absent themselves from
the scene of action, and that the last even wrote to Lord Lansmere
expressing his intention of declining to contest the borough.

Fortunately for the parliamentary career of Audley Egerton, the election
had become to Lord Lansmere not only a matter of public importance, but
of personal feeling. He resolved that the battle should be fought out,
even in the absence of the candidate, and at his own expense. Hitherto
the contest for this distinguished borough had been, to use the language
of Lord Lansmere, "conducted in the spirit of gentlemen,"--that is to
say, the only opponents to the Lansmere interest had been found in one
or the other of the two rival families in the same county; and as the
earl was a hospitable, courteous man, much respected and liked by the
neighbouring gentry, so the hostile candidate had always interlarded his
speeches with profuse compliments to his Lordship's high character,
and civil expressions as to his Lordship's candidate. But, thanks to
successive elections, one of these two families had come to an end,
and its actual representative was now residing within the Rules of the
Bench; the head of the other family was the sitting member, and, by an
amicable agreement with the Lansinere interest, he remained as neutral
as it is in the power of any sitting member to be amidst the passions
of an intractable committee. Accordingly it had been hoped that Egerton
would come in without opposition, when, the very day on which he had
abruptly left the place, a handbill, signed "Haverill Dashmore, Captain
R. N., Baker Street, Portman Square," announced, in very spirited
language, the intention of that gent