e worst corner of Tartarus than a Christian borough. Drunkenness,
riot, pumping on one another, spencering one another, all sorts of
violence and abuse ruled and raged till the blood of all Stockington was
at boiling heat. In the midst of the tempest were everywhere seen, ranged
on the opposite sides, Mr. Spires, now old and immensely corpulent, and
Simon Deg, active, buoyant, zealous, and popular beyond measure. But
popular though he was, the other and old tory side still triumphed. The
people were exasperated to madness; and when the chairing of the
successful candidate commenced, there was a terrific attack made on the
procession by the defeated party. Down went the chair, and the new
member, glad to escape into an inn, saw his friends mercilessly assailed
by the populace. There was a tremendous tempest of sticks, brickbats,
paving-stones, and rotten eggs. In the midst of all this, Simon Deg and a
number of his friends, standing at the upper window of an hotel, saw Mr.
Spires knocked down and trampled on by the crowd. In an instant, and
before his friends had missed him from amongst them, Simon Deg was seen
darting through the raging mass, cleaving his way with a surprising
vigor, and gesticulating, and no doubt shouting vehemently to the
rioters, though his voice was lost in the din. In the next moment his hat
was knocked off, and himself appeared in imminent danger: but, another
moment, and there was a pause, and a group of people were bearing
somebody from the frantic mob into a neighboring shop. It was Simon Deg,
assisting in the rescue of his old friend and benefactor, Mr. Spires.

Mr. Spires was a good deal bruised, and wonderfully confounded and
bewildered by his fall. His clothes were one mass of mud, and his face
was bleeding copiously; but when he had had a good draught of water,
and his face washed, and had time to recover himself, it was found that
he had received no serious injury.

"They had like to have done for me, though," said he.

"Yes, and who saved you?" asked a gentleman.

"Ay, who was it? who was it?" asked the really warm-hearted manufacturer;
"let me know? I owe him my life."

"There he is!" said several gentlemen, at the same instant, pushing
forward Simon Deg.

"What, Simon!" said Mr. Spires, starting to his feet. "Was it thee, my
boy?" He did more, he stretched out his hand; the young man clasped it
eagerly, and the two stood silent, and with a heart-felt emotion, which
blended all