ewcome, and the
meeting-houses and their respective pastors and frequenters turned their
backs upon him. The case against him was too flagrant: his enemy,
the factory-man, worked it with an extraordinary skill, malice, and
pertinacity. Not a single man, woman, or child in Newcome but was made
acquainted with Sir Barnes's early peccadillo. Ribald ballads were
howled through the streets describing his sin, and his deserved
punishment. For very shame, the reverend dissenting gentlemen were
obliged to refrain from voting for him; such as ventured, believing in
the sincerity of his repentance, to give him their voices, were yelled
away from the polling-places. A very great number who would have been
his friends, were compelled to bow to decency and public opinion, and
supported the Colonel.

Hooted away from the hustings, and the public places whence the rival
candidates addressed the free and independent electors, this wretched
and persecuted Sir Barnes invited his friends and supporters to meet him
at the Athenaeum Room--scene of his previous eloquent performances. But,
though this apartment was defended by tickets, the people burst into
it; and Nemesis, in the shape of the persevering factory-man, appeared
before the scared Sir Barnes and his puzzled committee. The man stood
up and bearded the pale Baronet. He had a good cause, and was in truth
a far better master of debate than our banking friend, being a great
speaker amongst his brother-operatives, by whom political questions are
discussed, and the conduct of political men examined, with a ceaseless
interest and with an ardour and eloquence which are often unknown in
what is called superior society. This man and his friends round about
him fiercely silenced the clamour of "Turn him out," with which his
first appearance was assailed by Sir Barnes's hangers-on. He said, in
the name of justice he would speak up; if they were fathers of families
and loved their wives and daughters he dared them to refuse him a
hearing. Did they love their wives and their children? it was a shame
that they should take such a man as that yonder for their representative
in Parliament. But the greatest sensation he made was when, in the
middle of his speech, after inveighing against Barnes's cruelty and
parental ingratitude, he asked, "Where were Barnes's children?" and
actually thrust forward two, to the amazement of the committee and the
ghastly astonishment of the guilty Baronet himself.