of joining himself to aristocratic people was continually at war
with the great cost which such tastes occasioned. His last election
had not been a cheap triumph. In one way or another money had
been dragged from him for purposes which had been to his mind
unintelligible; and when, about the middle of his first session, he
had, with much grumbling, settled all demands, he had questioned with
himself whether his whistle was worth its cost.

He was therefore a great stickler for purity of election; although,
had he considered the matter, he should have known that with him
money was his only passport into that Elysium in which he had now
lived for two years. He probably did not consider it; for when, in
those canvassing days immediately preceding the election, he had
seen that all the beer-houses were open, and half the population
was drunk, he had asked Mr Nearthewinde whether this violation of
the treaty was taking place only on the part of his opponent, and
whether, in such case, it would not be duly noticed with a view to a
possible future petition.

Mr Nearthewinde assured him triumphantly that half at least of the
wallowing swine were his own especial friends; and that somewhat
more than half of the publicans of the town were eagerly engaged in
fighting his, Mr Moffat's battle. Mr Moffat groaned, and would have
expostulated had Mr Nearthewinde been willing to hear him. But that
gentleman's services had been put into requisition by Lord de Courcy
rather than by the candidate. For the candidate he cared but little.
To pay the bill would be enough for him. He, Mr Nearthewinde, was
doing his business as he well knew how to do it; and it was not
likely that he should submit to be lectured by such as Mr Moffat on a
trumpery score of expense.

It certainly did appear on the morning of the election as though some
great change had been made in that resolution of the candidates to be
very pure. From an early hour rough bands of music were to be heard
in every part of the usually quiet town; carts and gigs, omnibuses
and flys, all the old carriages from all the inn-yards, and every
vehicle of any description which could be pressed into the service
were in motion; if the horses and post-boys were not to be paid for
by the candidates, the voters themselves were certainly very liberal
in their mode of bringing themselves to the poll. The election
district of the city of Barchester extended for some miles on each
side of the c