s of the leading
borough in England as they called themselves, would perhaps have cared
little about Melmotte's antecedents had it not become their duty to
fight him as a Conservative. Had the great man found at the last
moment that his own British politics had been liberal in their nature,
these very enemies would have been on his committee. It was their
business to secure the seat. And as Melmotte's supporters began the
battle with an attempt at what the Liberals called 'bounce,'--to carry
the borough with a rush by an overwhelming assertion of their
candidate's virtues,--the other party was driven to make some enquiries
as to that candidate's antecedents. They quickly warmed to the work,
and were not less loud in exposing the Satan of speculation, than had
been the Conservatives in declaring the commercial Jove. Emissaries
were sent to Paris and Frankfort, and the wires were used to Vienna
and New York. It was not difficult to collect stories,--true or false;
and some quiet men, who merely looked on at the game, expressed an
opinion that Melmotte might have wisely abstained from the glories of
Parliament.

Nevertheless there was at first some difficulty in finding a proper
Liberal candidate to run against him. The nobleman who had been
elevated out of his seat by the death of his father had been a great
Whig magnate, whose family was possessed of immense wealth and of
popularity equal to its possessions. One of that family might have
contested the borough at a much less expense than any other person,--
and to them the expense would have mattered but little. But there was
no such member of it forthcoming. Lord This and Lord That,--and the
Honourable This and the Honourable That, sons of other cognate Lords,--
already had seats which they were unwilling to vacate in the present
state of affairs. There was but one other session for the existing
Parliament; and the odds were held to be very greatly in Melmotte's
favour. Many an outsider was tried, but the outsiders were either
afraid of Melmotte's purse or his influence. Lord Buntingford was
asked, and he and his family were good old Whigs. But he was nephew to
Lord Alfred Grendall, first cousin to Miles Grendall, and abstained on
behalf of his relatives. An overture was made to Sir Damask Monogram,
who certainly could afford the contest. But Sir Damask did not see his
way. Melmotte was a working bee, while he was a drone,--and he did not
wish to have the difference poi