the right of his wife had
a seat in the assembly of East India shareholders, and a voice in the
election of directors of that famous company. I promise you Mrs. Clive
was a personage of no little importance. She carried her little head
with an aplomb and gravity which amused some of us. F. B. bent his most
respectfully down before her; she sent him on messages, and deigned to
ask him to dinner. He once more wore a cheerful countenance; the clouds
which gathered o'er the sun of Newcome were in the bosom of the ocean
buried, Bayham said, by James Binnie's brilliant behaviour to his niece.

Clive was a proprietor of East India Stock, and had a vote in electing
the directors of that Company; and who so fit to be a director of his
affairs as Thomas Newcome, Esq., Companion of the Bath, and so long a
distinguished officer in its army? To hold this position of director,
used, up to very late days, to be the natural ambition of many East
Indian gentlemen. Colonel Newcome had often thought of offering himself
as a candidate, and now openly placed himself on the lists, and publicly
announced his intention. His interest was rather powerful through the
Indian bank, of which he was a director, and many of the shareholders of
which were proprietors of the East India Company. To have a director of
the B. B. C. also a member of the parliament in Leadenhall Street, would
naturally be beneficial to the former institution. Thomas Newcome's
prospectuses were issued accordingly, and his canvass received with
tolerable favour.

Within a very short time another candidate appeared in the field--a
retired Bombay lawyer, of considerable repute and large means--and at
the head of this gentleman's committee appeared the names of Hobson
Brothers and Newcome, very formidable personages at the East India
House, with which the bank of Hobson Brothers have had dealings for half
a century past, and where the old lady, who founded or consolidated that
family, had had three stars before her own venerable name, which had
descended upon her son Sir Brian, and her grandson, Sir Barnes.

War was thus openly declared between Thomas Newcome and his nephew. The
canvass on both sides was very hot and eager. The number of promises
was pretty equal. The election was not to come off yet for a while; for
aspirants to the honourable office of director used to announce their
wishes years before they could be fulfilled, and returned again and
again to the contest bef