he would have beheld little Mr.
Crampton looking into Lady Gorgon's face, with as love-sick a Romeo-gaze
as he could possibly counterfeit; while her Ladyship, blushing somewhat
and turning her own grey gogglers up to heaven, received all his words
for gospel, and sat fancying herself to be the best, most meritorious,
and most beautiful creature in the three kingdoms.

"You men are terrible flatterers," continued she; "but you say right:
for myself I value not these empty distinctions. I am growing old, Mr.
Crampton,--yes, indeed, I am, although you smile so incredulously,--and
let me add, that MY thoughts are fixed upon HIGHER things than earthly
crowns. But tell me, you who are all in all with Lord Bagwig, are we
never to have our peerage? His Majesty, I know, is not averse; the
services of dear Sir George to a member of His Majesty's august family,
I know, have been appreciated in the highest quarter. Ever since the
peace we have had a promise. Four hundred pounds has Sir George spent at
the Heralds' Office (I myself am of one of the most ancient families
in the kingdom, Mr. Crampton), and the poor dear man's health is really
ruined by the anxious sickening feeling of hope so long delayed."

Mr. Crampton now assumed an air of much solemnity.

"My dear Lady Gorgon," said he, "will you let me be frank with you, and
will you promise solemnly that what I am going to tell you shall never
be repeated to a single soul?"

Lady Gorgon promised.

"Well, then, since the truth you must know, you yourselves have been in
part the cause of the delay of which you complain. You gave us two votes
five years ago; you now only give us one. If Sir George were to go up
to the Peers, we should lose even that one vote; and would it be common
sense in us to incur such a loss? Mr. Scully, the Liberal, would return
another Member of his own way of thinking; and as for the Lords, we
have, you know, a majority there."

"Oh, that horrid man!" said Lady Gorgon, cursing Mr. Scully in her
heart, and beginning to play a rapid tattoo with her feet, "that
miscreant, that traitor, that--that attorney has been our ruin."

"Horrid man, if you please, but give me leave to tell you that the
horrid man is not the sole cause of your ruin--if ruin you will call it.
I am sorry to say that I do candidly think Ministers believe that Sir
George Gorgon has lost his influence in Oldborough as much through his
own fault as through Mr. Scully's cleverness."