was flowing there as elsewhere; and scarlet ribbons going
in--not, perhaps, in a state of perfect steadiness--came out more
unsteady than before. Still had Mr Reddypalm been deaf to the voice
of that charmer, Closerstil, though he had charmed with all his
wisdom. Mr Reddypalm had stated, first his unwillingness to vote at
all:--he had, he said, given over politics, and was not inclined to
trouble his mind again with the subject; then he had spoken of his
great devotion to the Duke of Omnium, under whose grandfathers his
grandfather had been bred: Mr Nearthewinde had, as he said, been
with him, and proved to him beyond a shadow of a doubt that it would
show the deepest ingratitude on his part to vote against the duke's
candidate.

Mr Closerstil thought he understood all this, and sent more, and
still more men to drink beer. He even caused--taking infinite trouble
to secure secrecy in the matter--three gallons of British brandy to
be ordered and paid for as the best French. But, nevertheless, Mr
Reddypalm made no sign to show that he considered that the right
thing had been done. On the evening before the election, he told
one of Mr Closerstil's confidential men, that he had thought a good
deal about it, and that he believed he should be constrained by his
conscience to vote for Mr Moffat.

We have said that Mr Closerstil was accompanied by a learned friend
of his, one Mr Romer, a barrister, who was greatly interested in Sir
Roger, and who, being a strong Liberal, was assisting in the canvass
with much energy. He, hearing how matters were likely to go with
this conscientious publican, and feeling himself peculiarly capable
of dealing with such delicate scruples, undertook to look into the
case in hand. Early, therefore, on the morning of the election, he
sauntered down the cross street in which hung out the sign of the
Brown Bear, and, as he expected, found Mr Reddypalm near his own
door.

Now it was quite an understood thing that there was to be no bribery.
This was understood by no one better than by Mr Romer, who had, in
truth, drawn up many of the published assurances to that effect. And,
to give him his due, he was fully minded to act in accordance with
these assurances. The object of all the parties was to make it worth
the voters' while to give their votes; but to do so without bribery.
Mr Romer had repeatedly declared that he would have nothing to do
with any illegal practising; but he had also declared that,