But Lord Palmet paid Mr. Oggler a memorable compliment, by assuring him that he was altogether of his way of thinking about happiness.

The frank young nobleman did not withhold a reference to the two or three things essential to his happiness; otherwise Mr. Oggler might have been pleased and flattered.

Before quitting the shop, Beauchamp warned Carpendike that he should come again.  ’Vote or no vote, you’re worth the trial.  Texts as many as you like.  I’ll make your faith active, if it’s alive at all.  You speak of the Lord loving his own; you make out the Lord to be your own, and use your religion like a drug.  So it appears to me.  That Sunday tyranny of yours has to be defended.

Remember that; for I for one shall combat it and expose it.  Good day.’

Beauchamp continued, in the street:  ’Tyrannies like this fellow’s have made the English the dullest and wretchedest people in Europe.’

Palmet animadverted on Carpendike:  ’The dog looks like a deadly fungus that has poisoned the woman.’

‘I’d trust him with a post of danger, though,’ said Beauchamp.

Before the candidate had opened his mouth to the next elector he was beamed on.  M’Gilliper, baker, a floured brick face, leaned on folded arms across his counter and said, in Scotch:  ’My vote? and he that asks me for my vote is the man who, when he was midshipman, saved the life of a relation of mine from death by drowning! my wife’s first cousin, Johnny Brownson—­and held him up four to five minutes in the water, and never left him till he was out of danger!  There ’s my hand on it, I will, and a score of householders in Bevisham the same.’  He dictated precious names and addresses to Beauchamp, and was curtly thanked for his pains.

Such treatment of a favourable voter seemed odd to Palmet.

‘Oh, a vote given for reasons of sentiment!’ Beauchamp interjected.

Palmet reflected and said:  ’Well, perhaps that’s how it is women don’t care uncommonly for the men who love them, though they like precious well to be loved.  Opposition does it.’

‘You have discovered my likeness to women,’ said Beauchamp, eyeing him critically, and then thinking, with a sudden warmth, that he had seen Renee:  ’Look here, Palmet, you’re too late for Itchincope, to-day; come and eat fish and meat with me at my hotel, and come to a meeting after it.  You can run by rail to Itchincope to breakfast in the morning, and I may come with you.  You’ll hear one or two men speak well to-night.’

‘I suppose I shall have to be at this business myself some day,’ sighed Palmet.  ’Any women on the platform?  Oh, but political women!  And the Tories get the pick of the women.  No, I don’t think I ’ll stay.  Yes, I will; I’ll go through with it.  I like to be learning something.  You wouldn’t think it of me, Beauchamp, but I envy fellows at work.’

‘You might make a speech for me, Palmet.’