as long
as all was done according to law, he was ready to lend his best
efforts to assist Sir Roger. How he assisted Sir Roger, and adhered
to the law, will now be seen.

Oh, Mr Romer! Mr Romer! is it not the case with thee that thou
"wouldst not play false, and yet wouldst wrongly win?" Not in
electioneering, Mr Romer, any more than in other pursuits, can a man
touch pitch and not be defiled; as thou, innocent as thou art, wilt
soon learn to thy terrible cost.

"Well, Reddypalm," said Mr Romer, shaking hands with him. Mr Romer
had not been equally cautious as Nearthewinde, and had already drunk
sundry glasses of ale at the Brown Bear, in the hope of softening the
stern Bear-warden. "How is it to be to-day? Which is to be the man?"

"If any one knows that, Mr Romer, you must be the man. A poor
numbskull like me knows nothing of them matters. How should I?
All I looks to, Mr Romer, is selling a trifle of drink now and
then--selling it, and getting paid for it, you know, Mr Romer."

"Yes, that's important, no doubt. But come, Reddypalm, such an old
friend of Sir Roger as you are, a man he speaks of as one of his
intimate friends, I wonder how you can hesitate about it? Now with
another man, I should think that he wanted to be paid for voting--"

"Oh, Mr Romer!--fie--fie--fie!"

"I know it's not the case with you. It would be an insult to offer
you money, even if money were going. I should not mention this, only
as money is not going, neither on our side nor on the other, no harm
can be done."

"Mr Romer, if you speak of such a thing, you'll hurt me. I know the
value of an Englishman's franchise too well to wish to sell it. I
would not demean myself so low; no, not though five-and-twenty pound
a vote was going, as there was in the good old times--and that's not
so long ago neither."

"I am sure you wouldn't, Reddypalm; I'm sure you wouldn't. But an
honest man like you should stick to old friends. Now, tell me," and
putting his arm through Reddypalm's, he walked with him into the
passage of his own house; "Now, tell me--is there anything wrong?
It's between friends, you know. Is there anything wrong?"

"I wouldn't sell my vote for untold gold," said Reddypalm, who was
perhaps aware that untold gold would hardly be offered to him for it.

"I am sure you would not," said Mr Romer.

"But," said Reddypalm, "a man likes to be paid his little bill."

"Surely, surely," said the barrister.

"And I did say two years