RANDAL (with secret glee).—“But his resignation would smooth a hitch,—not create one. The votes promised to him would thus be freed, and go to—”
DICK.—“The Right Honourable Red-Tapist!”
RANDAL.—“Are you serious?”
DICK.—“As an undertaker! The fact is, there are two parties among the Yellows as there are in the Church,—High Yellow and Low Yellow. Leonard has made great way with the High Yellows, and has more influence with them than I; and the High Yellows infinitely preferred Egerton to yourself. They say, ‘Politics apart, he would be an honour to the borough.’ Leonard is of the same opinion; and if he retires, I don’t think I could coax either him or the Highflyers to make you any the better by his resignation.”
RANDAL.—“But surely your nephew’s sense of gratitude to you would induce him not to go against your wishes?”
DICK.—“Unluckily, the gratitude is all the other way. It is I who am under obligations to him,—not he to me. As for Lord L’Estrange, I can’t make head or tail of his real intentions; and why he should have attacked Leonard in that way puzzles me more than all, for he wished Leonard to stand; and Levy has privately informed me that, in spite of my Lord’s friendship for the Right Honourable, you are the man he desires to secure.”
RANDAL.—“He has certainly shown that desire throughout the whole canvass.”
DICK.—“I suspect that the borough-mongers have got a seat for Egerton elsewhere; or, perhaps, should his party come in again, he is to be pitchforked into the Upper House.”
RANDAL (smiling).—“Ah, Avenel, you are so shrewd; you see through everything. I will also add that Egerton wants some short respite from public life, in order to nurse his health and attend to his affairs, otherwise I could not even contemplate the chance of the electors preferring me to him, without a pang.”
DICK.—“Pang! stuff—considerable. The oak-trees don’t hear us! You want to come into parliament, and no mistake. If I am the man to retire,—as I always proposed, and had got Leonard to agree to, before this confounded speech of L’Estrange’s,—come into parliament you will, for the Low Yellows I can twist round my finger, provided the High Yellows will not interfere; in short, I could transfer to you votes promised to me, but I can’t answer for those promised to Leonard. Levy tells me you are to marry a rich girl, and will have lots of money; so, of course, you will pay my expenses if you come in through my votes.”