few words had occurred to him.  ‘My friend Frank Tregear,’ he began, rushing at once at his subject, ’is a very good fellow, and I hope you will elect him.’  Then he paused, not remembering what was to come next; but the sentiment which he had uttered appeared to his auditors to be so good in itself and so well delivered, that they filled up a long pause with continued clappings and exclamations.  ‘Yes,’ continued the young member of Parliament, encouraged by the kindness of the crowd, ’I have known Frank Tregear ever so long, and I don’t think you will find a better member of Parliament anywhere.’  There were many ladies present and they thought that the Duke’s son was just the person who ought to come electioneering among them.  His voice was much pleasanter to their ears than that of old Mr Williams.  The women waved their handkerchiefs and the men stamped their feet.  Here was an orator come among them.  ‘You all know all about it just as well as I do,’ continued the orator, ’and I am sure you feel that he ought to be member for Polpenno.’  There could be no doubt about that as far as the opinion of the audience went.  ’There can’t be a better fellow than Frank Tregear, and I ask you all to give three cheers for the new member.’  Ten times three cheers were given, and the Carbottleites outside the door who had come to report what was going on at the Tregear meeting were quite of the opinion that this eldest son of the former Prime Minister was a tower of strength.  ‘I don’t know anything about Mr Carbottle,’ continued Silverbridge, who was almost getting to like the sound of his own voice.  ‘Perhaps he’s a good fellow too.’  ’No; no, no.  A very bad fellow indeed,’ was heard from different parts of the room.  ’I don’t know anything about him.  I wasn’t at school with Carbottle.’  This was taken as a stroke of the keenest wit, and was received with infinite cheering.  Silverbridge was in the pride of his youth, and Carbottle was sixty at the least.  Nothing could have been funnier.  ’He seems to be a stout old party, but I don’t think he’s the man for Polpenno.  I think you’ll return Frank Tregear.  I was at school with him;—­and I tell you that you can’t find a better fellow anywhere than Frank Tregear.’  Then he sat down, and I am afraid he felt that he had made the speech of the evening.  ‘We are so much obliged to you, Lord Silverbridge,’ Miss Tregear said as they were walking home together.  ’That’s just the sort of thing that the people like.  So reassuring, you know.  What Mr Williams says about the dissenters is of course true; but it isn’t reassuring.’

‘I hope I didn’t make a fool of myself tonight,’ Silverbridge said when he was alone with Tregear,—­probably with some little pride in his heart.

’I ought to say that you did, seeing that you praised me so violently.  But, whatever it was, it was well taken.  I don’t know whether they will elect me; but had you come down as a candidate, I am quite sure they would have elected you.’  Silverbridge was hardly satisfied with this.  He wished to have been told that he had spoken well.  He did not, however, resent his friend’s coldness.  ‘Perhaps, after all, I did make a fool of myself,’ he said to himself as he went to bed.