Part 154 (1/2)
”Mr. Avenel,” said Harley, slowly, recovering himself from the abstraction with which he had listened to d.i.c.k's earlier sentences, ”I fear I do not quite understand you; but I have no other interest in the next election for the borough of Lansmere than as may serve one whom, whatever be your politics, you must acknowledge to be--”
”A humbug!”
”Mr. Avenel, you cannot mean the person I mean. I speak of one of the first statesmen of our time,--of Mr. Audley Egerton, of--”
”A stiff-necked, pompous--”
”My earliest and dearest friend.”
The rebuke, though gently said, sufficed to silence d.i.c.k for a moment; and when he spoke again, it was in an altered tone.
”I beg your pardon, my Lord, I am sure. Of course, I can say nothing disrespectful of your friend,--very sorry that he is your friend. In that case, I am almost afraid that nothing is to be done. But Mr. Audley Egerton has not a chance.
”Let me convince you of this.” And d.i.c.k pulled out a little book, bound neatly in red.
”Canva.s.s book, my Lord. I am no aristocrat. I don't pretend to carry a free and independent const.i.tuency in my breeches' pocket. Heaven forbid!
But as a practical man of business, what I do is done properly. Just look at this book.
”Well kept, eh? Names, promises, inclinations, public opinions, and private interests of every individual Lansmere elector! Now, as one man of honour to another, I show you this book, and I think you will see that we have a clear majority of at least eighty votes as against Mr.
Egerton.”
”That is your view of the question,” said Harley, taking the book and glancing over the names catalogued and ticketed therein. But his countenance became serious as he recognized many names familiar to his boyhood as those of important electors on the Lansmere side, and which he now found transferred to the hostile. ”But surely there are persons here in whom you deceive yourself,--old friends of my family, stanch supporters of our party.”
”Exactly so. But this new question has turned all old things topsy-turvy. No relying on any friend of yours. No reliance except in this book!” said d.i.c.k, slapping the red cover with calm but ominous emphasis.
”Now, what I want to propose is this: Don't let the Lansmere interest be beaten; it would vex the old earl,--go to his heart, I am sure.”
Harley nodded.
”And the Lansmere interest need not be beaten, if you'll put up another man instead of this red-tapist. (Beg pardon.) You see I only want to get in one man, you want to get in another. Why not? Now, there 's a smart youth,--connection of Mr. Egerton's,--Randal Leslie. I have no objection to him, though he is of your colours. Withdraw Mr. Egerton, and I 'll withdraw my second man before it comes to the poll; and so we shall halve the borough slick between us. That's the way to do business,--eh, my Lord?”
”Randal Leslie! Oh, you wish to bring in Mr. Leslie? But he stands with Egerton, not against him.”
”Ah,” said d.i.c.k, smiling as if to himself, ”so I hear; and we could bring him in over Egerton without saying a word to you. But all our family respect yours, and so I have wished to do the thing handsome and open. Let the earl and your party be content with young Leslie.”
”Young Leslie has spoken to you?”
”Not as to my coming here. Oh, no, that's a secret,--private and confidential, my Lord. And now, to make matters still more smooth, I propose that my man shall be one to your Lords.h.i.+p's own heart. I find you have been very kind to my nephew; does you credit, my Lord,--a wonderful young man, though I say it. I never guessed there was so much in him. Yet all the time he was in my house, he had in his desk the very sketch of an invention that is now saving me from ruin,--from positive ruin,--Baron Levy, the King's Bench, and almighty smas.h.!.+ Now, such a young man ought to be in parliament. I like to bring forward a relation,--that is, when he does one credit; 't is human nature and sacred ties--one's own flesh and blood; and besides, one hand rubs the other, and one leg helps on the other, and relations get on best in the world when they pull together; that is, supposing that they are the proper sort of relations, and pull one on, not down. I had once thought of standing for Lansmere myself,--thought of it very lately. The country wants men like me, I know that; but I have an idea that I had better see to my own business. The country may, or may not, do without me, stupid old thing that she is! But my mill and my new engines--there is no doubt that they cannot do without me. In short, as we are quite alone, and, as I said before, there 's no kind of necessity for that sort of humbug which exists when other people are present, provide elsewhere for Mr.
Egerton, whom I hate like poison,--I have a right to do that, I suppose, without offence to your Lords.h.i.+p,--and the two younkers, Leonard Fairfield and Randal Leslie, shall be members for the free and independent borough of Lansmere!”
”But does Leonard wish to come into parliament?”
”No, he says not; but that's nonsense. If your Lords.h.i.+p will just signify your wish that he should not lose this n.o.ble opportunity to raise himself in life, and get something handsome out of the nation, I'm sure he owes you too much to hesitate,--'specially when 't is to his own advantage. And besides, one of us Avenels ought to be in parliament; and if I have not the time and learning, and so forth, and he has, why, it stands to reason that he should be the man. And if he can do something for me one day--not that I want anything--but still a baronetcy or so would be a compliment to British Industry, and be appreciated as such by myself and the public at large,--I say, if he could do something of that sort, it would keep up the whole family; and if he can't, why, I'll forgive him.”
”Avenel,” said Harley, with that familiar and gracious charm of manner which few ever could resist, ”Avenel, if as a great personal favour to myself--to me your fellow-townsman (I was born at Lansmere)--if I asked you to forego your grudge against Audley Egerton, whatever that grudge be, and not oppose his election, while our party would not oppose your nephew's, could you not oblige me? Come, for the sake of dear Lansmere, and all the old kindly feelings between your family and mine, say 'yes, so shall it be.'”
Richard Avenel was almost melted. He turned away his face; but there suddenly rose to his recollection the scornful brow of Audley Egerton, the lofty contempt with which he, then the wors.h.i.+pful Mayor of Screwstown, had been shown out of the minister's office-room; and the blood rus.h.i.+ng over his cheeks, he stamped his foot on the floor, and exclaimed angrily, ”No; I swore that Audley Egerton should smart for his insolence to me, as sure as my name be Richard Avenel; and all the soft soap in the world will not wash out that oath. So there is nothing for it but for you to withdraw that man, or for me to defeat him. And I would do so, ay,--and in the way that could most gall him,--if it cost me half my fortune. But it will not cost that,” said d.i.c.k, cooling, ”nor anything like it; for when the popular tide runs in one's favour, 't is astonis.h.i.+ng how cheap an election may be. It will cost him enough though, and all for nothing,--worse than nothing. Think of it, my Lord.”