"You deserved success, after that brilliant speech;" said Chichester, laughing heartily at this narrative.
"The polling was continued briskly until four o'clock, when the mayor closed the books and announced that George Greenwood, Esquire, Gentleman, was duly returned to serve in Parliament as the representative of Rottenborough."
"When shall you 'take your oaths and your seat,' as the papers say?" demanded Chichester.
"This evening," answered Greenwood.
"And of course you will range yourself amongst the liberals?"
"How can you fancy that I shall be guilty of such egregious folly?" cried the new Member of Parliament. "The reign of the Liberals is drawing to a close: a Tory administration within a year or eighteen months is inevitable."
"But you stood forward as a Liberal, and were returned as such."
"Very true—very true, my dear fellow. But do you imagine that I became a Member of Parliament to meet the interests and wishes of a pack of strangers, or to suit my own?"
"And at the next election——"
"I shall be returned again. Mark my word for that. A politician is not worth a fig who has not a dozen excuses ready for the most flagrant tergiversation; and money—money will purchase all the free and independent electors of Rottenborough."