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628 THE ADVENTURES OF PHILIP
united to our family by the closest ties will offer himself as a
candidate for your suffrages _________ "
"Why, who is it? He is not going to put in Uncle Twysden,
or my sneak of a cousin ? "
" No," says Mr. Bradgate.
" Well, bless my soul ! he can't mean me," said Philip. " Who
is the dark horse he has in his stable ?"
Then Mr. Bradgate laughed. "Dark horse you may call him.
The new Member is to be Grenville Woolcomb, Esq., your West
India relative, and no other."
Those who know the extreme energy of Mr. P. Firmin's language
when he is excited, may imagine the explosion of Philippine wrath
which ensued as our friend heard this name. "That miscreant:
that skinflint : that wealthy crossing-sweeper : that ignoramus who
scarce could do more than sign his name! Oh, it was horrible,
shameful ! Why, the man is on such ill terms with his wife that
they say he strikes her. When I see him I feel inclined to choke
him, and murder him. That brute going into Parliament, and the
republican Sir John Ringwood sending him there ! It's monstrous ! "
" Family arrangements. Sir John, or, I should say, my Lord
Ringwood, is one of the most affectionate of parents," Mr. Bradgate
remarked. "He has a large family by his second marriage, and
his estates go to his eldest son. We must not quarrel with Lord
Ringwood for wishing to provide for his young ones. I don't say
that he quite acts up to the extreme Liberal principles of which
he was once rather fond of boasting. But if you were offered a
peerage, what would you do; what would I do ? If you wanted
money for your young ones, and could get it, would you not take
it ? Come, come, don't let us have too much of this Spartan virtue !
If we were tried, my good friend, we should not be much worse or
better than our neighbours. Is my fly coming, waiter ?" We asked
Mr. Bradgate to defer his departure, and to share our dinner. But
he declined, and said he must go up to the great house, where
he and his client had plenty of business to arrange, and where
no doubt he would stay for the night. He bade the inn servants
put his portmanteau into his carriage when it came. "The old
lord had some famous port wine," he said; "I hope my friends
have the key of the cellar."
The waiter was just putting our meal on the table, as we stood
in the bow-window of the " Ringwood Arms " coffee-room, engaged
in this colloquy. Hence we could see the street, and the opposition
inn of the " Ram," where presently a great placard was posted.
At least a dozen street-boys, shopmen, and rustics were quickly