INGS IN GENERAL

The result of the election was no surprise to the defeated party. The
honest among them acknowledged that they deserved to be beaten, and
they felt no personal rancour against Eloquent.

If Marlehouse was unfortunate enough to be represented by a Radical,
they preferred that the Radical should be a Marlehouse man and not some
"carpet-bagger" imported from South Wales. Eloquent's bearing, both
during the contest and afterwards, was acknowledged to be modest and
"suitable." If he was lacking in geniality and address, he was, at all
events, neither bumptious nor servile. His lenity towards the youths
who had done their best to break up his meeting and wreck his committee
rooms had leaked out, and gained for him, if not friends, at least
toleration among several leading Conservatives who had been his
bitterest opponents.

Mary, Grantly, and Buz Ffolliot all felt a sneaking satisfaction that
he _had_ got in. A satisfaction they in no wise dared to express, for
Mr Ffolliot was really much upset at the result of the election;
feeling it something of a personal insult that one so closely
associated with a ready-made clothes' shop, a shop in his own nearest
town, should represent him in Parliament. Mr Ffolliot would have
preferred the "carpet-bagger."

Mary, who cared as little as she knew about politics, was pleased.
Because Eloquent had been "decent" to Grantly, she was glad he had got
what he wanted, though why he should ardently desire that particular
thing she did not attempt to understand. Grantly was sincerely
grateful to Eloquent for getting him out of what would undoubtedly have
been a most colossal row, had any hint of his conduct at Marlehouse on
the eve of the election reached his father's ears.

Neither Grantly nor Mary knew anything of the Miss Buttermish episode.
For Buz, since the accident, was basking in the sympathy of his family,
and had no intention of diverting the stream of favours that flowed
over him by any revelations they might not wholly approve. Buz,
therefore, had his own reasons, unshared by anyone but Uz (who was
silent as the grave in all that concerned his twin), for gratitude to
Eloquent. Grantly and Buz unconsciously shared a rather unwilling
admiration for the little, common-looking man who could do a good turn
and hold his tongue, evidently expecting neither recognition nor
remembrance. For Eloquent expected neither, and yet he could not
forget the real earnes