RANDAL.—“My dear Avenel, certainly I will.”
DICK.—“And I have two private bills I want to smuggle through parliament.”
RANDAL.—“They shall be smuggled, rely on it. Mr. Fairfield being on one side of the House, and I on the other, we two could prevent all unpleasant opposition. Private bills are easily managed,—with that tact which I flatter myself I possess.”
DICK.—“And when the bills are through the House, and you have had time to look about you, I dare say you will see that no man can go against Public Opinion, unless he wants to knock his own head against a stone wall; and that Public Opinion is decidedly Yellow.”
RANDAL (with candour).—“I cannot deny that Public Opinion is Yellow; and at my age, it is natural that I should not commit myself to the policy of a former generation. Blue is fast wearing out. But, to return to Mr. Fairfield: you do not speak as if you had no hope of keeping him straight to what I understand to be his agreement with yourself. Surely his honour is engaged to it?”
DICK.—“I don’t know as to honour; but he has now taken a fancy to public life,—at least so he said no later than this morning before we went into the hall; and I trust that matters will come right. Indeed, I left him with Parson Dale, who promised me that he would use all his best exertions to reconcile Leonard and my Lord, and that Leonard should do nothing hastily.”
RANDAL.—“But why should Mr. Fairfield retire because Lord L’Estrange wounds his feelings? I am sure Mr. Fairfield has wounded mine, but that does not make me think of retiring.”
DICK.—“Oh, Leonard is a poet, and poets are quite as crotchety as L’Estrange said they were. And Leonard is under obligations to Lord L’Estrange, and thought that Lord L’Estrange was pleased by his standing; whereas, now—In short, it is all Greek to me, except that Leonard has mounted his high horse, and if that throws him, I am afraid it will throw you. But still I have great confidence in Parson Dale,—a good fellow who has much influence with Leonard. And though I thought it right to be above-board, and let you know where the danger lies, yet one thing I can promise,—if I resign, you shall come in; so shake hands on it.”
RANDAL.—“My dear Avenel! And your wish is to resign?”
DICK.—“Certainly. I should do so a little time after noon, contriving to be below Leonard on the poll. You know Emanuel Trout, the captain of the Hundred and Fifty ‘Waiters on Providence,’ as they are called?”