ed the dominant
interest in the county town. The colonel himself meddled little in
politics, and was too fine a gentleman for the drudgery of parliament.
He had offered the seat to Ernest, when the latter had commenced his
public career; but the result of a communication proved that their
political views were dissimilar, and the negotiation dropped without
ill-feeling on either side. Subsequently a vacancy occurred; and Lady
Julia's brother (just made a Lord of the Treasury) wished to come
into parliament, so the county town was offered to him. Now, the proud
commoner had married into the family of a peer as proud as himself,
and Colonel Maltravers was always glad whenever he could impress his
consequence on his connections by doing them a favour. He wrote to his
steward to see that the thing was properly settled, and came down on the
nomination-day "to share the triumph and partake the gale." Guess his
indignation, when he found the nephew of Sir Gregory Gubbins was already
in the field! The result of the election was that Mr. Augustus Gubbins
came in, and that Colonel Maltravers was pelted with cabbage-stalks, and
accused of attempting to sell the worthy and independent electors to a
government nominee! In shame and disgust, Colonel Maltravers broke
up his establishment at Lisle Court, and once more retired to the
Continent.

About a week from the date now touched upon, Lady Julia and himself
had arrived in London from Vienna; and a new mortification awaited
the unfortunate owner of Lisle Court. A railroad company had been
established, of which Sir Gregory Gubbins was a principal shareholder;
and the speculator, Mr. Augustus Gubbins, one of the "most useful men in
the House," had undertaken to carry the bill through parliament. Colonel
Maltravers received a letter of portentous size, inclosing the map of
the places which this blessed railway was to bisect; and lo! just at
the bottom of his park ran a portentous line, which informed him of the
sacrifice he was expected to make for the public good,--especially for
the good of that very county town, the inhabitants of which had pelted
him with cabbage-stalks!

Colonel Maltravers lost all patience. Unacquainted with our wise
legislative proceedings, he was not aware that a railway planned is
a very different thing from a railway made; and that parliamentary
committees are not by any means favourable to schemes for carrying the
public through a gentleman's park.

"This