Volume Ii Part 5 (2/2)

'Yes; but professions and practice don't always harmonize. Sometimes private interest draws one way, and public duty points another.'

Sir Watkin coloured. He had consented to fight Sloville in the Liberal interest, but he had made a bargain on the subject with his party, and Wentworth's casual remark had gone home.

Wentworth continued:

'In what way can I help you, Sir Watkin?'

'Mr. Blank tells me that you know something of Sloville.'

'Very little, indeed. I was there a short while some years ago. That is all. I doubt whether I can do you any good there.'

'Oh yes, you can. I recollect hearing you speak on the night of the Chartist meeting, and upon my word you spoke out well. There are many who still remember that speech.'

'Yes; but it did not gain me many friends.'

'Well, it was talked about for a good while after.'

'Do you want me to repeat it?'

'Not exactly, but I am not much of a speaker myself, and I want a clever man like yourself to be by my side, and speak now and then on my behalf.

Of course I should be prepared to pay handsomely for such a.s.sistance.'

'I am much obliged for the offer. Of course I feel complimented by it,'

said Wentworth; 'but I fear that sort of thing is not much in my line.

Indeed, I hear so much oratory that I am sick of it, and have come to regard an orator as a personal enemy, who really desires to do me wrong.

In the heat of the moment an orator is apt to forget himself, to fling charges against his opponents which he cannot justify, and make promises to the people which he cannot perform. I fear a good deal of humbug goes on when there is much oratory, and that a man who gets into a habit of public speaking later on becomes a humbug himself. At any rate, I know this is true of some of our London popular orators. You may be better in the country. It is to be hoped you are.'

'As to oratory, we are very badly off. And that is the real reason,'

said Sir Watkin, 'why I came to you. I am not, as I have said, much of a speaker myself. Whereas my Conservative opponent is a clever barrister, with a tremendous gift of gab.'

'Yes, that is it. You ought to go to a barrister and take him down with you. So long as a barrister is well paid he is ready to speak on any side.'

'But there are difficulties which I fear will prevent my doing that. I want a novelty-a newspaper man, in fact. Lawyers have such a professional style of talking. They deceive no one; no one believes them. If a lawyer ever does by accident make a good speech it carries no weight with it. It is expected as a matter of course. If a lawyer can't talk we don't think much of him or his law, and then there is another reason.'

'What is that?' said Wentworth, lazily puffing his cigar.

'Lawyers ain't popular at Sloville with the Radicals. They say that our present law is a disgrace to the country, and that as long as we fill the House with lawyers, we shall never get a proper measure of law reform.

In our town the people are very much opposed to lawyers and parsons.'

'Very wrong of them,' said Wentworth ironically.

'Very wrong, indeed,' replied the Baronet; 'but we must take people as we find them, and act accordingly. It is no use sending down a lawyer to fight for me. The people would not go to hear him. Their last representative won by the aid of a lawyer, and they won't stand another.'

'But, then, in London there are no end of men who pa.s.s themselves off as working-men politicians, though it is precious little work they do. I believe they are to be had at a very moderate figure, and they can do the roaring part of the business first-rate. They are always trotted out when the Liberals want to get up a grand demonstration, more especially when the Conservatives are in place and power. Had not you better take one or two of them down with you? They'll be sure to fetch the rest.'

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