said that you would be home at this
time, and therefore I write to you about the borough.
Things are changed since you went away, and, I fear, not
changed for your advantage.

We understand that Mr. Grey will apply for the Chiltern
Hundreds at the end of March, and that the election will
take place in April. No candidate will appear as favoured
from hence. We used to run a favourite, and our favourite
would sometimes win,--would sometimes even have a walk
over; but those good times are gone. All the good times
are going, I think. There is no reason that I know why you
should not stand as well as any one else. You can be early
in the field;--because it is only now known that there
will be no Gatherum interest. And I fancy it has already
leaked out that you would have been the favourite if there
had been a favourite;--which might be beneficial.

I need hardly say that I do not wish my name to be
mentioned in the matter.

Sincerely yours,

GLENCORA OMNIUM.

Sprugeon, the ironmonger, would, I do not doubt, be proud
to nominate you.

"I don't understand much about it," said Emily.

"I dare say not. It is not meant that any novice should understand
much about it. Of course you will not mention her Grace's letter."

"Certainly not."

"She intends to do the very best she can for me. I have no doubt that
some understrapper from the Castle has had some communication with
Mr. Sprugeon. The fact is that the Duke won't be seen in it, but that
the Duchess does not mean that the borough shall quite slip through
their fingers."

"Shall you try it?"

"If I do I must send an agent down to see Mr. Sprugeon on the sly,
and the sooner I do so the better. I wonder what your father will say
about it?"

"He is an old Conservative."

"But would he not like his son-in-law to be in Parliament?"

"I don't know that he would care about it very much. He seems always
to laugh at people who want to get into Parliament. But if you have
set your heart upon it, Ferdinand--"

"I have not set my heart on spending a great deal of money. When I
first thought of Silverbridge the expense would have been almost
nothing. It would have been a walk over, as the Duchess calls it. But
now there will certainly be a contest."

"Give it up if you cannot afford it."

"Nothing venture nothing have. You don't think your father would help
me in doing it? It would add almost as much t