oon appreciated. Of
course, he is enthusiastic on the subject."

"I do not know if I am appreciated or not, but the burghs are a little
tired of a struggle between the Conservative duke and the Whig earl,
always resulting in some one being put up on both sides, to whom there
were no strong objections, and no strong recommendations--a mere
nobody, in fact."

"You are popular in the county, are you not?" asked Jane.

"No, not exactly. I do not think I could possibly carry the county,
even if I could afford the contest, for I am not considered a safe
person for the landed interest. I gained some eclat on the road
trusteeship, by opening a road which was a great public convenience,
but I lost more than I gained there, by my allotments, which are looked
on as a dangerous precedent. The cottages make me popular with those
who have no votes, and with the more enlightened class of farmers, but
the old school of tenants object to them, and almost all the landlords
fear that they may be asked to lay out money in the same way. On the
whole, I am considered rather a dangerous man in the county, but in the
burghs I am popular, I think. I have the character of being a man of
the people, who has not lost sympathy with his class, and I can afford
to give them my time and services, such as they are."

"If you go in, you want to do so independently," said Jane.

"Yes, I do; and here I risk my election. The Liberal party want a
certain vote, which they think they could secure better by sending up a
stranger from the Reform Club, who knows little and cares less about
the burghs, than by supporting a man who will look into political and
national questions for himself, and who will not be a mere partisan. If
they mistrust me and send some one to divide the Liberal interest, I
can only save the Swinton burghs from the duke's man, by retiring."

"But how foolish to divide the Liberal interest," said Jane.

"My dear Jane, you forget that his party is dearer to a party man than
anything else. The question to be considered--and I want to see how
your nice conscience will guide you through the bewildering mazes of
political morality--is this: Whether it would be right to pledge myself
to the party, in which case I am sure of my return, or to remain
independent, and so make it very doubtful," said Francis.

"You cannot vote always with the Liberals--at least with the Liberals
who form governments and oppositions," said Jane. "They are often