The Duke's Children. Anthony Trollope

Mr. Sprugeon.

      "I am sure it could not be in better," said Mr. Du Boung. "For myself I am quite willing to postpone any peculiar shade of politics to the advantage of having your father's son as our representative."

      This Mr. Du Boung said with much intention of imparting both grace and dignity to the occasion. He thought that he was doing a great thing for the house of Omnium, and that the house of Omnium ought to know it.

      "That's very kind of you," said Lord Silverbridge, who had not read as carefully as he should have done the letters which had been sent to him, and did not therefore quite understand the position.

      "Mr. Du Boung had intended to stand himself," said Mr. Sprout.

      "But retired in your Lordship's favour," said Mr. Sprugeon.

      "In doing which I considered that I studied the interest of the borough," said Mr. Du Boung.

      "I thought you gave it up because there was hardly a footing for a Liberal," said his Lordship, very imprudently.

      "The borough was always Liberal till the last election," said Mr. Du Boung, drawing himself up.

      "The borough wishes on this occasion to be magnanimous," said Mr. Sprout, probably having on his mind some confusion between magnanimity and unanimity.

      "As your Lordship is coming among us, the borough is anxious to sink politics altogether for the moment," said Mr. Sprugeon. There had no doubt been a compact between the Sprugeon and Sprout party and the Du Boung party in accordance with which it had been arranged that Mr. Du Boung should be entitled to a certain amount of glorification in the presence of Lord Silverbridge.

      "And it was in compliance with that wish on the part of the borough, my Lord," said Mr. Du Boung—"as to which my own feelings were quite as strong as that of any other gentleman in the borough—that I conceived it to be my duty to give way."

      "His Lordship is quite aware how much he owes to Mr. Du Boung," said Tregear. Whereupon Lord Silverbridge bowed.

      "And now what are we to do?" said Lord Silverbridge.

      Then there was a little whispering between Mr. Sprout and Mr. Sprugeon. "Perhaps, Mr. Du Boung," said Sprugeon, "his Lordship had better call first on Dr. Tempest."

      "Perhaps," said the injured brewer, "as it is to be a party affair after all I had better retire from the scene."

      "I thought all that was to be given up," said Tregear.

      "Oh, certainly," said Sprout. "Suppose we go to Mr. Walker first?"

      "I'm up to anything," said Lord Silverbridge; "but of course everybody understands that I am a Conservative."

      "Oh dear, yes," said Sprugeon.

      "We are all aware of that," said Sprout.

      "And very glad we've all of us been to hear it," said the landlord.

      "Though there are some in the borough who could have wished, my Lord, that you had stuck to the old Palliser politics," said Mr. Du Boung.

      "But I haven't stuck to the Palliser politics. Just at present I think that order and all that sort of thing should be maintained."

      "Hear, hear!" said the landlord.

      "And now, as I have expressed my views generally, I am willing to go anywhere."

      "Then we'll go to Mr. Walker first," said Sprugeon. Now it was understood that in the borough, among those who really had opinions of their own, Mr. Walker the old attorney stood first as a Liberal, and Dr. Tempest the old rector first as a Conservative.

      "I am glad to see your Lordship in the town which gives you its name," said Mr. Walker, who was a hale old gentleman with silvery-white hair, over seventy years of age. "I proposed your father for this borough on, I think, six or seven different occasions. They used to go in and out then whenever they changed their offices."

      "We hope you'll propose Lord Silverbridge now," said Mr. Sprugeon.

      "Oh; well;—yes. He's his father's son, and I never knew anything but good of the family. I wish you were going to sit on the same side, my Lord."

      "Times are changed a little, perhaps," said his Lordship.

      "The matter is not to be discussed now," said the old attorney. "I understand that. Only I hope you'll excuse me if I say that a man ought to get up very early in the morning if he means to see further into politics than your father."

      "Very early indeed," said Mr. Du Boung, shaking his head.

      "That's all right," said Lord Silverbridge.

      "I'll propose you, my Lord. I need not wish you success, because there is no one to stand against you."

      Then they went to Dr. Tempest, who was also an old man. "Yes, my Lord, I shall be proud to second you," said the rector. "I didn't think that I should ever do that to one of your name in Silverbridge."

      "I hope you think I've made a change for the better," said the candidate.

      "You've come over to my school of course, and I suppose I am bound to think that a change for the better. Nevertheless I have a kind of idea that certain people ought to be Tories and that other certain people ought to be Whigs. What does your father say about it?"

      "My father wishes me to be in the House, and that he has not quarrelled with me you may know by the fact that had there been a contest he would have paid my expenses."

      "A father generally has to do that whether he approves of what his son is about or not," said the caustic old gentleman.

      There was nothing else to be done. They all went back to the hotel, and Mr. Sprugeon with Mr. Sprout and the landlord drank a glass of sherry at the candidate's expense, wishing him political long life and prosperity. There was no one else whom it was thought necessary that the candidate should visit, and the next day he returned to town with the understanding that on the day appointed in the next week he should come back again to be elected.

      And on the day appointed the two young men again went to Silverbridge, and after he had been declared duly elected, the new Member of Parliament made his first speech. There was a meeting in the town-hall and many were assembled anxious to hear—not the lad's opinions, for which probably nobody cared much—but the tone of his voice and to see his manner. Of what sort was the eldest son of the man of whom the neighbourhood had been so proud? For the county was in truth proud of their Duke. Of this son whom they had now made a Member of Parliament they at present only knew that he had been sent away from Oxford—not so very long ago—for painting the Dean's house scarlet. The speech was not very brilliant. He told them that he was very much obliged to them for the honour they had done him. Though he could not follow exactly his father's political opinions—he would always have before his eyes his father's political honesty and independence. He broke down two or three times and blushed, and repeated himself, and knocked his words a great deal too quickly one on the top of another. But it was taken very well, and was better than was expected. When it was over he wrote a line to the Duke.

      My dear Father,

      I am Member of Parliament for Silverbridge—as you used to be in the days which I can first remember. I hope you won't think that it does not make me unhappy to have differed from you. Indeed it does. I don't think that anybody has ever done so well in politics as you have. But when a man does take up an opinion I don't see how he can help himself. Of course I could have kept myself quiet;—but then you wished me to be in the House. They were all very civil to me at Silverbridge, but there was very little said.

      Your affectionate Son,

      Silverbridge.

CHAPTER XV

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