e, who was one of the party,
was full of the most sanguine hopes.

"I have done one good at any rate," said Frank; "I have secured the
chorister's vote."

"What! Bagley?" said Nearthewinde. "The fellow kept out of my way,
and I couldn't see him."

"I haven't exactly seen him," said Frank; "but I've got his vote all
the same."

"What! by a letter?" said Mr Moffat.

"No, not by letter," said Frank, speaking rather low as he looked at
the bishop and the earl; "I got a promise from his wife: I think he's
a little in the henpecked line."

"Ha--ha--ha!" laughed the good bishop, who, in spite of Frank's
modulation of voice, had overheard what had passed. "Is that the way
you manage electioneering matters in our cathedral city? Ha--ha--ha!"
The idea of one of his choristers being in the henpecked line was
very amusing to the bishop.

"Oh, I got a distinct promise," said Frank, in his pride; and then
added incautiously, "but I had to order bonnets for the whole
family."

"Hush-h-h-h-h!" said Mr Nearthewinde, absolutely flabbergasted by
such imprudence on the part of one of his client's friends. "I am
quite sure that your order had no effect, and was intended to have no
effect on Mr Bagley's vote."

"Is that wrong?" said Frank; "upon my word I thought that it was
quite legitimate."

"One should never admit anything in electioneering matters, should
one?" said George, turning to Mr Nearthewinde.

"Very little, Mr de Courcy; very little indeed--the less the better.
It's hard to say in these days what is wrong and what is not. Now,
there's Reddypalm, the publican, the man who has the Brown Bear.
Well, I was there, of course: he's a voter, and if any man in
Barchester ought to feel himself bound to vote for a friend of the
duke's, he ought. Now, I was so thirsty when I was in that man's
house that I was dying for a glass of beer; but for the life of me I
didn't dare order one."

"Why not?" said Frank, whose mind was only just beginning to be
enlightened by the great doctrine of purity of election as practised
in English provincial towns.

"Oh, Closerstil had some fellow looking at me; why, I can't walk down
that town without having my very steps counted. I like sharp fighting
myself, but I never go so sharp as that."

"Nevertheless I got Bagley's vote," said Frank, persisting in praise
of his own electioneering prowess; "and you may be sure of this, Mr
Nearthewinde, none of Closerstil's men were looking at me whe