tory. When Barnes was a young
man, and in his occasional visits to Newcome, lived along with those
dashing young blades Sam Jollyman (Jollyman Brothers and Bowcher), Bob
Homer, Cross Country Bill, Al Rackner (for whom his father had to pay
eighteen thousand pounds after the Leger, the year Toggery won it) and
that wild lot, all sorts of stories were told of them, and of Barnes
especially. Most of them were settled, and steady business men by this
time. Al, it was known had become very serious, besides making his
fortune in cotton. Bob Homer managed the Bank; and as for S. Jollyman,
Mrs. S. J. took uncommon good care that he didn't break out of bounds
any more; why, he was not even allowed to play a game at billiards;
or to dine out without her----I could go on giving you interesting
particulars of a hundred members of the Newcome aristocracy, were not
our attention especially directed to one respectable family.

All Barnes's endeavours at popularity were vain, partly from his own
fault, and partly from the nature of mankind, and of the Newcome folks
especially, whom no single person could possibly conciliate. Thus,
suppose he gave the advertisements to the Independent; the old Blue
paper the Sentinel was very angry: suppose he asked Mr. Hunch, the
Dissenting minister, to bless the tablecloth after dinner, as he had
begged Dr. Bulders to utter a benediction on the first course, Hunch and
Bulders were both angry. He subscribed to the races--what heathenism!
to the missionaries--what sanctimonious humbug! And the worst was that
Barnes being young at that time, and not able to keep his tongue in
order, could not help saying not to but of such and such a man, that he
was an infernal ass, or a confounded old idiot, and so forth--peevish
phrases, which undid in a moment the work of a dozen dinners, countless
compliments, and months of grinning good-humour.

Now he is wiser. He is very proud of being Newcome of Newcome, and quite
believes that the place is his hereditary principality. But still, he
says, his father was a fool for ever representing the borough. "Dammy,
sir," cries Sir Barnes, "never sit for a place that lies at your
park-gates, and above all never try to conciliate 'em. Curse 'em! Hate
'em well, sir! Take a line, and flog the fellows on the other side.
Since I have sate in Parliament for another place, I have saved myself I
don't know how much a year. I never go to High Church or Low; don't give
a shillin' to t