"But how can we reasonably hope to succeed, when we know nearly all with which we are charged to be true?

"True!-my dear! Has not Sir William again and again said, that a thousand things may be true which cannot be proved?"

I have of course no inclination to resign, which you know: if I conceived it to be probable that my seat could be retained, I would defend it with all the means in my power; but as the case stands at present I cannot perceive a chance."

"Oh, there are a thousand chances; rely on it, my love, there are ten thousand chances, although you do not perceive them. Besides, if even the worst should come to the worst, we are surely, my love, as capable of bearing our share of the expenses as the Swansdown faction are of bearing theirs!"

"But that may not be the worst. Suppose we are fixed with all the costs?"

"Oh, but you know, Sir William says that an instance of that kind has not occurred within his recollection!"

"But the thing is not impossible: it may occur in our case, and if it should, can it be borne without sensibly affecting your fortune?" "Of course! Dear me, my love, what a ridiculous question!" "Oh, I know nothing about your affairs: you studiously kept them from me!" have always most

"Fear nothing on that score; by all means oppose this horrible petition."

"Very well: but understand, that if opposed at all it must be opposed with spirit; no expense must be spared; there must be no stopping short; the thing once begun must be carried on boldly to the end!"

success.

"That is precisely my feeling. Never mind the expense; do not dream about that. Have everything that may be deemed essential to We shall beat them! I am sure that we shall beat them. It would be such a truly dreadful thing, you know, my love, to give up all without an effort to retain it. It would look so cowardly and would be so disgraceful, as Sir William says! I should go mad! I am sure of it. I never could be happy again. Therefore, oppose them, my love, by all means; oppose them with all your power. Engage the highest talent available. Stanley, my dearest love! let me prevail upon you will you oppose them?"

Stanley consented. He had of course no desire to relinquish his seat: he never had; but knowing well that his election must have cost something very considerable, although the amouht had been concealed from him, he felt, being ignorant of the Widow's resources, that the expense of opposing the petition-if the opposition should be reported "frivolous and vexatious," might involve them all in ruin. When, however, he heard that the worst could be borne without any material or permanent injury, he resolved to go on with the opposition boldly he would not yield an inch: he defied them to prove their allegations, although he knew them to be true, declaring that his seat should be defended till the last.

The battle then commenced. The opening speeches were made. Coach-loads of witnesses were brought up to town, and among them Stanley recognised many, whom, during the election, he had treated with the utmost kindness and liberality. On ascertaining the quarters of these people, he sent an agent to remonstrate with them; but they

viewed the affair as a mere matter of business, declaring that they had no private feeling either way; that the franchise was a property of which they had a clear and indisputable right to make the most, that every contingency increased its value, and that if Stanley wanted them why he might have them even then. The agent spoke of gratitude, of course, and enlarged on its brightness and beauty; and they agreed with him; they thought it an excellent thing, and they said so, and contended that its value should be commensurate with its excellence, and at the same time declared that they had plenty to sell, and should be glad to dispose of their whole stock at a price. As, however, it was deemed inexpedient under the circumstances to purchase this inestimable commodity of them-the investment not being quite safethere was no business done; the agent left them in possession of their gratitude, which, if all had been taken at their own valuation, would have made a man wealthy indeed.

There was, however, another class of witnesses of a far more formidable character, inasmuch as they were actuated by feelings of revenge, and had a certain amount of social respectability about them which imparted a nominal purity to their testimony, and thereby gave it an additional weight. These were the tradesmen whom the chairman of Stanley's committee had insulted by his shabby and unconstitutional refusal to meet their prescriptive demands. The rest of the witnesses against him cared nothing about the result: they had no vindictive feeling to gratify; their object was to make all the money they could, and it mattered not a straw to them which party triumphed; but these men had set their noble souls upon his defeat; they had firmly resolved to do all in their power to ensure his political destruction; he had robbed them—for it is a real robbery, when the thing is properly looked at, to refuse to pay respectable men what is regular -and, therefore, they had one and all determined to stick at nothing which could tend to promote the accomplishment of the just and legitimate object in view.

The committee sat daily; but their progress was but slow. The counsel on both sides displayed all the eloquence, zeal, and ingenuity they had in them, and bullied each other with admirable ferocity. On one point, however, they seemed to be agreed, and that was to make the thing last as long as possible. It seldom indeed happens in ordinary cases, that opposing counsel agree at all; but it is an extraordinary fact, that in this case they were on that great point perfectly unanimous. During the examination of witnesses an objection was started at every third question with the utmost regularity and tact, and the speeches which succeeded those objections respectively were remarkable as well for their length as for the sound deliberation with which they were delivered.

After a week or two the honourable members of the committee became naturally tired of the business; but the witnesses in the aggregate were by no means impatient: they cared not how long the thing lasted; it met their views precisely; nothing on earth could have suited them better; they were not only living like Aldermen in town, but really beginning to get into flesh.

At length, when all concerned save counsel and these philosophic witnesses, were weary, the labours of the committee were brought to an end, and the result was, that they reported the opposition to the petition "frivolous and vexatious," and thus fixed Stanley with the whole of the costs, which were enormous!

This to him and his immediate friends was indeed a heavy blow; but poor Amelia felt it most deeply. Her anguish was poignant in the extreme, and while she tried to soothe her Stanley, whose high hopes had thus been blasted, she would hang upon his neck and sob as if her heart were breaking.

To Sir William and his associates Stanley wished it to appear that he was comparatively indifferent about the matter, but when in the presence of the Widow alone, his rage could not be calmed.

"You see," he exclaimed, when the result became known, "you see the position to which you have reduced me!"

"I, my love?"

"Yes, mother, you!"

"Gracious heavens! what can you mean?"

"Did you not prompt me to pursue this mad course?

Should I

have opposed this infernal petition had it not been for you?" "My love! you know that I advised you for the best!" "You advised me for the worst! You imagined, I suppose, that it would tame me. I was a fool to follow your advice; a wretched, a consummate fool!"

Stanley! Stanley!" exclaimed the Widow, bursting into tears, as he fiercely paced the room. "Oh! this is cruel-very cruel! You ought not to be unkind, indeed, indeed, you ought not to afflict me ̧ thus! You should consider that I have feelings, Stanley."

"Mother, you do not consider that I have feelings!"

"I do: I do, indeed! I know that my poor boy must feel it most deeply; but do not, pray do not, add gall to this calamity; do not increase our affliction by attributing motives which you must know could never have actuated me. But, my dearest love, can we not appeal?" "Appeal! No, there is no appeal."

"But the decision was corrupt, my love; grossly corrupt. The committee were guided by factious views solely, and while the counsel against us were demons, our own counsel ought to be ashamed of themselves for having suffered the fiends to go on so. Now, under these

circumstances, you know, my love, it strikes me-"

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Again I tell you, there is no appeal! And if there were; if even I could appeal, I would not. I know that these monstrous expenses must materially affect our fortunes. I am sure of it, quite sure,

although you conceal the fact from me."

They are indeed heavy; very heavy indeed."

"You admit, then," demanded Stanley fiercely, "you admit that they have involved us?"

No, my love; no, no; they have not involved us. I said that they were heavy!—I merely said that. But come, my love, all will be well. Come, be calm and kind; you are my only joy; I cannot be happy if you are not kind.”

The Widow again burst into tears and buried her face in his bosom. She knew that that which Stanley suspected was true; she was conscious that these enormous costs, immediately following the expenses of the election, had involved her, and although she had yet but an imperfect knowledge of the extent, she knew well, that her position would be sensibly affected.

And Sir William knew it too, and was glad. The destruction of Amelia's virtue was his object, and he now felt more than ever sure that that object would at no remote period be attained.