'My dear, I don't know that you can understand. The names grew up in the old days when the Stuarts were trying to get all the power of the government into their own hands and to leave none to the people. Those who stood by the king, through thick and thin, were called Tories; those who tried to limit him and guard the people's liberties, were Whigs.'
'What queer names! Papa, are there Whigs and Tories in England now?'
'What are called so.'
'Are the kings still trying to get away the liberties of the people?'
'No, my child. Those are pretty well secured.'
'And here we have no king at all. I don't see how you can be a Whig, or
Mrs. Dallas a Tory.'
'There are always the two parties. One, that sticks by the government and aims to strengthen its hands, right or wrong; and the other, that looks out for the liberties of the people and watches that they be not infringed or tampered with.'
Esther thought a while, but not exclusively over the political question. It might have occurred to an older person to wonder how William Pitt had got his name from parents who were both Tories. The fact was that here, as in many another case, money was the solution of the difficulty. A rich relation, who was also a radical, had promised a fine legacy to the boy if he were given the name of the famous Whig statesman, and Mr. Mrs. and Dallas had swallowed the pill per help of the sugar. About this Esther knew nothing.
'Papa,' she said, 'don't you think Pitt will get so fond of England that he will never want to come back?'
'It would not be strange if he did.'