ircumstances I submit to your Grace that I am entitled to
complain of the hardship I have suffered.

I had not been long in the borough before I found that my
position was hopeless. Influential men in the town who had
been represented to me as being altogether devoted to your
Grace's interests started a third candidate,--a Liberal as
myself,--and the natural consequence was that neither of
us succeeded, though my return as your Grace's candidate
would have been certain had not this been done. That all
this was preconcerted there can be no doubt, but, before
the mine was sprung on me,--immediately, indeed, on my
arrival, if I remember rightly,--an application was made
to me for L500, so that the money might be exacted before
the truth was known to me. Of course I should not have
paid the L500 had I known that your Grace's usual agents
in the town,--I may name Mr. Sprout especially,--were
prepared to act against me. But I did pay the money,
and I think your Grace will agree with me that a very
opprobrious term might be applied without injustice to the
transaction.

My Lord Duke, I am a poor man;--ambitious I will own,
whether that be a sin or a virtue,--and willing, perhaps,
to incur expenditure which can hardly be justified in
pursuit of certain public objects. But I must say, with
the most lively respect for your Grace personally, that I
do not feel inclined to sit down tamely under such a loss
as this. I should not have dreamed of interfering in the
election at Silverbridge had not the Duchess exhorted me
to do so. I would not even have run the risk of a doubtful
contest. But I came forward at the suggestion of the
Duchess, backed by her personal assurance that the seat
was certain as being in your Grace's hands. It was no
doubt understood that your Grace would not yourself
interfere, but it was equally well understood that your
Grace's influence was for the time deputed to the Duchess.
The Duchess herself will, I am sure, confirm my statement
that I had her direct authority for regarding myself as
your Grace's candidate.

I can of course bring an action against Mr. Wise, the
gentleman to whom I paid the money, but I feel that as a
gentleman I should not do so without reference to your
Grace, as circumstances might possibly be brought out in
evidence,--I will not say prejudicial to your