“All right,—as soon as Parliament meets and a new writ can be issued, Clavering retires, and I step into his shoes,” says Pen.
“And under which king does Bezonian speak or die?” asked Warrington. “Do we come out as Liberal Conservative, or as Government man, or on our own hook?”
“Hem! There are no politics now; every man’s politics, at least, are pretty much the same. I have not got acres enough to make me a Protectionist; nor could I be one, I think, if I had all the land in the county. I shall go pretty much with Government, and in advance of them upon some social questions which I have been getting up during the vacation;—don’t grin, you old cynic, I have been getting up the Blue Books, and intend to come out rather strong on the Sanitary and Colonisation questions.”
“We reserve to ourselves the liberty of voting against Government, though we are generally friendly. We are, however, friends of the people avant tout. We give lectures at the Clavering Institute, and shake hands with the intelligent mechanics. We think the franchise ought to be very considerably enlarged; at the same time we are free to accept office some day, when the House has listened to a few crack speeches from us, and the Administration perceives our merit.”
“I am not Moses,” said Pen, with, as usual, somewhat of melancholy in his voice. “I have no laws from Heaven to bring down to the people from the mountain. I don’t belong to the mountain at all, or set up to be a leader and reformer of mankind. My faith is not strong enough for that; nor my vanity, nor my hypocrisy, great enough. I will tell no lies, George, that I promise you; and do no more than coincide in those which are necessary and pass current, and can’t be got in without recalling the whole circulation. Give a man at least the advantage of his sceptical turn. If I find a good thing to say in the House, I will say it; a good measure, I will support it; a fair place, I will take it, and be glad of my luck. But I would no more flatter a great man than a mob; and now you know as much about my politics as I do. What call have I to be a Whig? Whiggism is not a divine institution. Why not vote with the Liberal Conservatives? They have done for the nation what the Whigs would never have done without them. Who converted both?—the Radicals and the country outside. I think the Morning Post is often right, and Punch is often wrong. I don’t profess a call, but take advantage of a chance. Parlons d’autre chose.”
“The next thing at your heart, after ambition is love, I suppose?” Warrington said. “How have our young loves prospered? Are we going to change our condition, and give up our chambers? Are you going to divorce me, Arthur, and take unto yourself a wife?”
“I suppose so. She is very good-natured and lively. She sings, and she don’t mind smoking. She’ll have a fair fortune—I don’t know how much—but my uncle augurs everything from the Begum’s generosity, and says that she will come down very handsomely. And I think Blanche is dev’lish fond of me,” said Arthur, with a sigh.
“That means that we accept her caresses and her money.”
“Haven’t we said before that life was a transaction?” Pendennis said. “I don’t pretend to break my heart about her. I have told her pretty fairly what my feelings are—and—and have engaged myself to her. And since I saw her last, and for the last two months especially, whilst I have been in the country, I think she has been growing fonder and fonder of me; and her letters to me, and especially to Laura, seem to show it. Mine have been simple enough—no raptures, nor vows, you understand—but looking upon the thing as an affaire faite; and not desirous to hasten or defer the completion.”
“And Laura? how is she?” Warrington asked frankly.