‘And now there are a thousand electors on the register. It is a pity we ever had Parliamentary reform.’
‘Sir Watkin, you are a Whig, are you not?’ said the agent.
‘Oh yes, of course I am. That was only my fun.’
‘It would not be fun if the people heard it.’
‘No, perhaps not. But we are talking privately and confidentially.’
‘Of course we are.’
‘But to business. How do matters stand?’
‘It is impossible to be better, or, rather, it would have been impossible. I’ve been nursing the borough a long while, but now the appearance of another Liberal candidate will give the Conservative a chance such as he otherwise would not have had.’
‘Yes, that is pretty clear. But how can we get rid of this Wentworth?’
‘Leave that to me. We can make it pretty hot for him. Just at this time the town is unusually full of roughs, and I know where to lay my hand on them. Brown, the Conservative agent, told me yesterday that he could always get a bigger lot of roughs than the Liberals. “I ain’t quite sure of that,” said I to myself, “as I think this Mr. Wentworth will find out before we are done with him.” Of course, he has got no money?’