as.

"That shows how disinterested you are, as you certainly would be
in office. Good-bye. Come and see the Duchess when she comes to
town. And if you've nothing better to do, give us a day or two at
Longroyston at Easter." Now Longroyston was the Duke's well-known
country seat, at which Whig hospitality had been dispensed with a
lavish hand for two centuries.

On the 20th January Phineas travelled down to Tankerville again in
obedience to a summons served upon him at the instance of the judge
who was to try his petition against Browborough. It was the special
and somewhat unusual nature of this petition that the complainants
not only sought to oust the sitting member, but also to give the
seat to the late unsuccessful candidate. There was to be a scrutiny,
by which, if it should be successful, so great a number of votes
would be deducted from those polled on behalf of the unfortunate
Mr. Browborough as to leave a majority for his opponent, with the
additional disagreeable obligation upon him of paying the cost of the
transaction by which he would thus lose his seat. Mr. Browborough,
no doubt, looked upon the whole thing with the greatest disgust. He
thought that a battle when once won should be regarded as over till
the occasion should come for another battle. He had spent his money
like a gentleman, and hated these mean ways. No one could ever say
that he had ever petitioned. That was his way of looking at it. That
Shibboleth of his as to the prospects of England and the Church of
her people had, no doubt, made the House less agreeable to him during
the last Short session than usual; but he had stuck to his party, and
voted with Mr. Daubeny on the Address,--the obligation for such vote
having inconveniently pressed itself upon him before the presentation
of the petition had been formally completed. He had always stuck to
his party. It was the pride of his life that he had been true and
consistent. He also was summoned to Tankerville, and he was forced
to go, although he knew that the Shibboleth would be thrown in his
teeth.

Mr. Browborough spent two or three very uncomfortable days at
Tankerville, whereas Phineas was triumphant. There were worse things
in store for poor Mr. Browborough than his repudiated Shibboleth, or
even than his lost seat. Mr. Ruddles, acting with wondrous energy,
succeeded in knocking off the necessary votes, and succeeded also in
proving that these votes were void by reason of gross briber