aint,
flickering light. Egremont was lying on its precipitous bank; and Harold
panting was leaning over him and looking in his face, and sometimes
licking him with that tongue which, though not gifted with speech, had
spoken so seasonably in the moment of danger.

END OF THE THIRD BOOK

BOOK IV

Book 4 Chapter 1

"Are you going down to the house, Egerton?" enquired Mr Berners at
Brookes, of a brother M.P., about four o'clock in the early part of the
spring of 1839.

"The moment I have sealed this letter; we will walk down together, if
you like!" and in a few minutes they left the club.

"Our fellows are in a sort of fright about this Jamaica bill," said Mr
Egerton in an undertone, as if he were afraid a passer-by might overhear
him. "Don't say anything about it, but there's a screw loose."

"The deuce! But how do you mean?"

"They say the Rads are going to throw us over."

"Talk, talk. They have threatened this half-a-dozen times. Smoke, sir;
it will end in smoke."

"I hope it may; but I know, in great confidence mind you, that Lord John
was saying something about it yesterday."

"That may be; I believe our fellows are heartily sick of the business,
and perhaps would be glad of an excuse to break up the government: but
we must not have Peel in; nothing could prevent a dissolution."

"Their fellows go about and say that Peel would not dissolve if he came
in."

"Trust him!"

"He has had enough of dissolutions they say."

"Why, after all they have not done him much harm. Even --34 was a hit."

"Whoever dissolves," said Mr Egerton, "I don't think there will be much
of a majority either way in our time."

"We have seen strange things," said Mr Berners.

"They never would think of breaking up the government without making
their peers," said Mr Egerton.

"The Queen is not over partial to making more peers; and when parties
are in the present state of equality, the Sovereign is no longer a mere
pageant."

"They say her Majesty is more touched about these affairs of the
Chartists than anything else," said Mr Egerton.

"They are rather queer; but for my part I have no serious fears of a
Jacquerie."

"Not if it comes to an outbreak; but a passive resistance Jacquerie is
altogether a different thing. When we see a regular Convention assembled
in London and holding its daily meetings in Palace Yard; and a
general inclination evinced throughout the country to refrain from the
consumpti