difficulty
that evening in bringing him to his sixth tumbler.

Even M'Corkindale was hipped. I own I was surprised at this, for I knew of
old the indefatigable spirit and keen energy of my friend, and I thought
that with such a stake as he had in the contest, he would even have
redoubled his exertions. Such, however, was not the case.

I pass over the proceedings at the poll. From a very early hour it became
perfectly evident that my chance was utterly gone; and, indeed, had it
been possible, I should have left Dreepdaily before the close. At four
o'clock the numbers stood thus:--

DREEPDAILY. DROUTHIELAW. KITTLEWEEM.
DOUGLAS, 94 63 192
POZZLETHWAITE, 59 73 21
DUNSHUNNER, 72 19 7

Majority for DOUGLAS, 196.

We had an awful scene in the Committee-room. Gills, who had been drinking
all day, shed copious floods of tears; Shanks was disconsolate; and
M'Auslan refused to be comforted. Of course I gave the usual pledge, that
on the very first opportunity I should come forward again to reassert the
independence of the burghs, now infamously sacrificed to a Conservative;
but the cheering at this announcement was of the very faintest
description, and I doubt whether any one believed me. Two hours afterwards
I was miles away from Dreepdaily.

I have since had letters from that place, which inform me that the Clique
is utterly discomfited; that for some days the component members of it
might be seen wandering through the streets, and pouring their husky
sorrows into the ears of every stray listener whom they could find, until
they became a positive nuisance. My best champion, however, was the
Editor of the Patriot. That noble and dauntless individual continued for
weeks afterwards to pour forth Jeremiads upon my defeat, and stigmatised
my opponents and their supporters as knaves, miscreants, and nincompoops.
I was, he maintained, the victim of a base conspiracy, and the degraded
town of Dreepdaily would never be able thereafter to rear its polluted
head in the Royal Convention of Burghs.

Whilst these things were going on in Dreepdaily, I was closeted with
M'Corkindale in Glasgow.

"So, then, you have lost your election," said he.

"And you have lost your wife."

"Neither of the two accidents appear to be irreparable," replied Robert.

"How so? Do you still think of Miss Binkie?"

"By no means. I made some li