other with the crest and frank of the
sitting member for the county, who was no other than young Chevydale.
His uncle was at breakfast when he handed them to him, and we need
hardly say that the M.P. was honored by instant attention. The
Still-hound read it over very complacently. "Very well," he exclaimed;
"very well, indeed, so far. Harry, we must be on the alert, now the
elections are approaching, and Chevydale will be stoutly opposed, it
seems. We must work for him, and secure as many votes as we can. It
is our interest to do so, Harry,--and he will make it our interest
besides."

"Has principle nothing to do with it, sir?"

"Principle! begad, sir," retorted the uncle, "there's no such thing as
principle--lay that down as a fact--there's no such thing in this world
as principle."

"Well, but consistency, uncle. For instance, you know you always vote on
the Tory side, and Chevydale is a Liberal and an Emancipator."

"Consistency is all d--d stuff, Harry, as principle. What does it mean?
why that if a man's once wrong he's always to be wrong--that is just the
amount of it. There's Chevydale, for instance, he has a brother who is a
rank Tory and a Commissioner of Excise, mark that; Chevydale and he play
into each other's hands, and Chevydale some of these days will sell the
Liberals, that is, if he can get good value for them. If I now vote on
the Tory side against Chevydale, his brother, the Tory Commissioner,
will be my enemy in spite of all his Toryism; but if I vote and exert
myself for Chevydale, the Liberal, I make his Tory of a brother my
friend for life. And now, talk to me about principle, or consistency
either."

His nephew could not but admit, that the instances adduced by his uncle
were admirably calculated to illustrate his argument, and he accordingly
pursued the subject no further.

"Ay!" exclaimed the Still-hound, "what d--d scrawl have we got here? Ay,
ay, why this is better than I expected."

"What is better, uncle?" said the nephew, venturing an experiment.

"Why," replied the sagacious old rascal, "for you to mind your business,
if you have any, and to let me mind mine, without making impertinent
inquiries, Master Harry." With these words he went and. locked up both
letters in his desk. As we, however, possess the power of unlocking his
desk, and reading the letter to boot, we now take the liberty of laying
it in all its graphic beauty and elegance before our readers--

"To MISTHER KLINTO