the arrangements at once, and he would ask the agent to dine with them
to-day, and so meet Mr. Ferrars.

So the agent entered, and it was all explained to him, calmly and
clearly, briefly by my lord, but with fervent amplification by his
charming wife. The agent several times attempted to make a remark, but
for some time he was unsuccessful; Lady Montfort was so anxious that he
should know all about Mr. Ferrars, the most rising young man of the day,
the son of the Right Honourable William Pitt Ferrars, who, had he not
died, would probably have been prime minister, and so on.

"Mr. Ferrars seems to be everything we could wish," said the agent, "and
as you say, my lady, though he is young, so was Mr. Pitt, and I have
little doubt, after what you say, my lady, that it is very likely he
will in time become as eminent. But what I came up to town particularly
to impress upon my lord is, that if Mr. Odo will not stand again, we are
in a very great difficulty."

"Difficulty about what?" said Lady Montfort impatiently.

"Well, my lady, if Mr. Odo stands, there is great respect for him. The
other side would not disturb him. He has been member for some years,
and my lord has been very liberal. But the truth is, if Mr. Odo does not
stand, we cannot command the seat."

"Not command the seat! Then our interest must have been terribly
neglected."

"I hope not, my lady," said the agent. "The fact is, the property is
against us."

"I thought it was all my lord's."

"No, my lady; the strong interest in the borough is my Lord Beaumaris.
It used to be about equal, but all the new buildings are in Lord
Beaumaris' part of the borough. It would not have signified if things
had remained as in the old days. The grandfather of the present lord was
a Whig, and always supported the Montforts, but that's all changed.
The present earl has gone over to the other side, and, I hear, is very
strong in his views."

Lady Montfort had to communicate all this to Endymion. "You will meet
the agent at dinner, but he did not give me a ray of hope. Go now;
indeed, I have kept you too long. I am so stricken that I can scarcely
command my senses. Only think of our borough being stolen from us by
Lord Beaumaris! I have brought you no luck, Endymion; I have done you
nothing but mischief; I am miserable. If you had attached yourself to
Lady Beaumaris, you might have been a member of parliament."

CHAPTER LXIX

In the meantime, the great news being