Val’s promotion to the Bench did not occasion so much surprise as might be supposed.  It is well known, that every such scoundrel, however he may disregard the opinions of the people whom he despises, leaves nothing undone that either meanness or ingenuity can accomplish to sustain a plausible character with the gentry of the neighborhood.  In the times of which we write, the great passport to popularity among one party was the expression of strong political opinions.  For this reason, Val, who was too cunning to neglect any subordinate aid to his success in life, had created for himself a certain description of character, which in a great degree occasioned much of his dishonesty and oppression to be overlooked or forgiven.  Like his father, old Deaker, he was a furious Orangeman, of the true, loyal, and Ascendancy class—­drank the glorious, pious, and immortal memory every day after dinner—­was, in fact, master of an Orange Lodge, and altogether a man of that thorough, staunch, Protestant principle, which was then, as it has been since, prostituted to the worst purposes.  For this reason, he was looked upon, by those of his own class not so much as a heartless and unscrupulous knave, as a good sound Protestant, whose religion and loyalty were of the right kidney.  In accordance with these principles, he lost no time in assuming the character of an active useful man, who considered it the most important part of his duty to extend his political opinions by every means in his power, and to discountenance, in all shapes and under all circumstances, such as were opposed to them.  For this purpose, there was only one object left untried and unaccomplished; but time and his undoubted loyalty soon enabled him to achieve it.  Not long after his appointment to the agency, he began to experience some of these uneasy sensations which a consciousness of not having deserved well at the hands of the people will occasion.  The man, as we have said, was a coward at heart; but like many others of the same class, he contrived on most occasions to conceal it.  He now considered that it would, at all events, be a safe and prudent act on his part to raise a corps of yeomanry, securing a commission in it for himself and Phil.  In this case he deemed it necessary to be able to lay, before government such satisfactory proofs as would ensure the accomplishment of his object, and at the same time establish his own loyalty and devotion to the higher powers.  No man possessed the art of combining several motives, under the simple guise of one act, with greater skill than M’Clutchy.  For instance, he had an opportunity of removing from the estate as many as possible of those whom he could not reckon on for political support.  Thus would he, in the least suspicious manner, and in the very act of loyalty, occasion that quantity of disturbance just necessary to corroborate his representations to government—­free property from disaffected persons, whose consciences were proof against both his threats and promises—­and prove to the world that Valentine M’Clutchy was the man to suppress disturbance, punish offenders, maintain peace, and, in short, exhibit precisely that loyal and truly Protestant spirit which the times required, and which, in the end, generally contrived to bring its own reward along with it.