Page:Once a Week, Series 1, Volume II Dec 1859 to June 1860.pdf/486

19, 1860.] select Back-Parlour Coterie, who all hung together like a knot of onions; and a brotherly band of Irish Members who were bound to do their very best for the Irish priests upon all occasions—and so on. When his melancholy explanations were over, I could not but reflect with humiliation upon the numerical weakness of the Independent Members, of whom I was one.

I had, as was to have expected, felt the influence of my new dignity upon my social position. Invitations poured in thickly. Many persons of great distinction in the country, who had, to all appearances, been wholly unaware of the joint existence of myself and my beloved Flora during our protracted residence at Marigold Lodge, seemed now most anxious to make our acquaintance. We were literally assailed with social importunities both from the and  party. Overtures were made to me to know if I was willing to put myself under the political leadership of Mr., as that eminent orator had conceived the idea of organising the Independent Members into a firm and compact body; for unless this were done, as he conceived, they could never make their importance duly felt. Somehow or other it seemed to me that Mr. T. had a knack of quarreling with everybody, and as I had no desire to waste my Parliamentary life in a series of brawls, I respectfully, but firmly, declined his obliging offer. My friend, P. Poldadek, would occasionally take a stroll with me in Hyde Park, and gnash his teeth at everybody—more especially at the minions of a corrupt Court—and the horrible hangers-on of the Treasury Bench. But it seemed to me that somebody must be there, and I felt by no means convinced that if P. P. and his friends ever got there that they would be much better than their neighbours.

All this while the affair of the Petition was simmering on. The people on the other side had got hold of a ridiculous story of a rat-catcher, who just before the election, and on the very day, had been excessively busy in his professional duties in the ancient Borough of Bribingford. It was asserted that this individual called at the houses of the voters—and asked them if they would like to be rid of their vermin? If they answered in the affirmative, his next inquiry was, “how many ferrets he should bring?” If they arrived at an understanding upon this point, by a very singular coincidence it was found that as many sovereigns as ferrets had been named were found on a chair near the spot where the rat-catcher had been standing. It was further remarkable that all the voters who had had dealings with this individual did me the honour of reposing their political confidence in me, and recording their votes in my favour. Another story, equally preposterous, was that a venerable white-headed old man, who was so much respected in the Borough that he was