These fellows have nothing new but their trimmings.  And he went on with:  “Ay, invisible,” and his arm chopping, “but an Idol! an Idol!”—­I was to think of “nought but Laws.”  He admitted there might be one above the Laws.  “To realize him is to fry the brains in their pan,” says he, and struck his forehead—­a slap:  and off he walked down the garden, with his hands at his coat-tails.  I venture to say it may be taken for a proof of incipient insanity to care to hear such a fellow twice.  And Beauchamp holds him up for a sage and a prophet!’

‘He is a very dangerous dog,’ said Colonel Halkett.

’The best of it is—­and I take this for the strongest possible proof that Beauchamp is mad—­Shrapnel stands for an advocate of morality against him.  I’ll speak of it . . . .’

Mr. Tuckham nodded to the colonel, who said:  ’Speak out.  My daughter has been educated for a woman of the world.’

’Well, sir, it’s nothing to offend a young lady’s ears.  Beauchamp is for socially enfranchising the sex—­that is all.  Quite enough.  Not a whit politically.  Love is to be the test:  and if a lady ceases to love her husband . . . if she sets her fancy elsewhere, she’s bound to leave him.  The laws are tyrannical, our objections are cowardly.  Well, this Dr. Shrapnel harangued about society; and men as well as women are to sacrifice their passions on that altar.  If he could burlesque himself it would be in coming out as a cleric—­the old Pagan!’

‘Did he convince Captain Beauchamp?’ the colonel asked, manifestly for his daughter to hear the reply; which was:  ‘Oh dear, no!’

’Were you able to gather from Captain Beauchamp’s remarks whether he is much disappointed by the result of the election?’ said Cecilia.

Mr. Tuckham could tell her only that Captain Beauchamp was incensed against an elector named Tomlinson for withdrawing a promised vote on account of lying rumours, and elated by the conquest of a Mr. Carpendike, who was reckoned a tough one to drag by the neck.  ’The only sane people in the house are a Miss Denham and the cook:  I lunched there,’ Mr. Tuckham nodded approvingly.  ’Lydiard must be mad.  What he’s wasting his time there for I can’t guess.  He says he’s engaged there in writing a prefatory essay to a new publication of Harry Denham’s poems—­whoever that may be.  And why wasting it there?  I don’t like it.  He ought to be earning his bread.  He’ll be sure to be borrowing money by-and-by.  We’ve got ten thousand too many fellows writing already, and they ’ve seen a few inches of the world, on the Continent!  He can write.  But it’s all unproductive-dead weight on the country, these fellows with their writings!  He says Beauchamp’s praise of Miss Denham is quite deserved.  He tells me, that at great peril to herself—­and she nearly had her arm broken by a stone he saved Shrapnel from rough usage on the election-day.’

‘Hum!’ Colonel Halkett grunted significantly.