Lady Anne Granard/Chapter 70
CHAPTER LXX.
Although events are increasing upon us in Welbeck Street—for the baronet has written to Lord Rotheles on the subject of Helen's marriage with his heir, and dilated much (considering that it was somewhat of a task to write at all) on his perfect satisfaction in the union, and his anticipation of great happiness arising from it, and the earl being absolutely delighted by the news; and, although by no means free from gouty symptoms, determines to come immediately to town, yet we must follow those in the first place from whom we have been separated—not long, perhaps, in point of time, but very long as to the course of our memoirs.
The first transit of our travellers was to Granard Park, where they were most hospitably received by the present owner, not only because they were of his party in politics, but because he really wished to show every possible attention to the offspring of a relative he loved and pitied, so far as could possibly be expected in a successor with a large and promising family. His kindness made them as much at home as possible; and Isabella had soon a kind of childish pleasure in finding the place where she kept rabbits, and in seeking the little gardens, still in the hands of children; but on the mind of Lady Allerton a far different emotion prevailed. In such a place she had first learned to ride; and, whilst she was instructed by the groom, dear papa, in his anxiety, stood by to watch her; in that avenue she had accompanied his daily walk when he was unable to go farther; and by that elm-tree she had watched for his returning carriage when he was too weak to walk at all. Her recollections of this nature were fully shared by Mr. Glentworth (ever prone to acute feeling); and he, too, soon became a wanderer into the park, where he might recall the early observations made by his love on the sorrows of a friend he held especially dear, because friends were at that time few. Whoever had taken the pains to observe these parties thus suffering from the renewal of sorrows long past would have learned the important lesson of never flying from the scene of our afflictions, but bearing as best we may that which God has appointed in the place where we received it.
So soon, however, as their arrival was bruited through the country, the pains of memory were exchanged for the troubles of business. Numerous families of great local importance made calls of ceremony or friendship—some even from the immediate environs of Keenborough; and Mr. Granard introduced to Glentworth an attorney of importance in the country, who desired to do him service, and was well able to do it as an agent. This gentleman (for such he was, however strange ladies who class country attorneys with vulgar pettifoggers in fashionable novels may deem the assertion) was the son of a brave officer, but, with several other children, left scantily provided for, and owed his present respectable situation in the first place to the kindness of the late Mr. Granard. His "restless gratitude" had often sought wherein to manifest itself—but in vain till now; but, on the first blush of this affair, he as eagerly sought employment as others sought to give it to him; and, well remembering Mr. Glentworth as a youth whose countenance had, like his own, been <div style="margin-left:"Sicklied o'er with the pale east of thought,";"> he became the more inclined to rejoice in his prosperity, and to forward his views.
To love and praise poor Granard, was the way to the candidate's heart, not less than to prove the speaker had one of his own; and Mr. Wigram and he soon understood each other, as good men generally do, and when Mr. Glentworth inquired whether the chance of being chosen was equivalent to the trouble and expence before him, he felt a certainty of hearing the simple truth in reply.
"I really think it is, or I would say go back at once, and let your handsome, inefficient opponent walk over the course, for beyond his vote he will never do either good or harm. He is a cadet of the noble family whose heir vacates the seat from the demise of Lord M, and is in the army (which, perhaps, gives me a trifling predilection in his behalf, as a gentleman, though not as a senator); in fact, one of those persons from which the Reform Bill intended to free the country, but which it has not yet done, nor, perhaps, will do very hastily."
"I suppose the borough is radical, like most others?"
"Perfectly rabid, but accompanied with the usual symptoms, 'one word for the country, and ten for myself,’ in general; but there are some sturdy, honest fellows amongst them. Our humans (as Jonathan says) are in fact as respectable as most towns can pretend to, for the two clergymen of one of our churches are active as well as good; and we have a considerable body of Wesleyan Methodists, 'staunch men and true;' and our wealthier tradesmen are Tories to a man; but these are the sacred few, when compared to the many pot-walloppers of Keenborough; and, like the orator of old, we must look to action, i. e., investigation of circumstances, and attention to persons, for our success. I have secured boys enow to hurrah for the ribbon of green, and I think we can raise a song or two in praise of the green member, and the green ocean."
"Green member! surely, Mr. Wigram, you will not assign such a sobriquet to me? I would rather return to town within the hour."
"I see, I see! 'twas a vile phrase, and must be avoided; but what can be done? our opponents are blue, and have been since the Revolution. If we had been pink, you might be laughed at as a blushing boy; if purple, pointed out as a votary of Bacchus; and orange denotes ultra opinions, to which you object: the fact is, Mr. Glentworth, a man who mounts the Hustings, must not allow himself to be sore-boned, or he invites his opponents to 'touch him on the raw,' not in the exercise of their malice, but their power; an election is a saturnalia."
Mr. Glentworth assented to the truth of the observations, but he so nearly repented engaging in the affair at all, from understanding his own mental temperament, that it required the exertions of all his friends to counteract the weak point in a strong mind. They knew not that it originally was implanted by the disgraceful conduct of his father, and the consequent sorrows of his mother, and in their ignorance communicated a happy influence; in the mob of Keenborough his history must be unknown, since it was so to Lord Allerton and Mr. Wigram; years sometimes have an advantage—his sad story was forgotten.
They removed to the town on which they designed to practice, and Mary and Isabella, accompanied by their cousin Granard, and Sir Henry Scriven, an old friend of their father's, began to make a series of calls on the gentry, requesting their "votes and interest," which, for a while, they found pretty generally accorded, for they were now among the few of whom Mr. Wigram had spoken. He considered that himself had better become sole conductor of the ladies to many other voters, leaving the gentlemen to pursue their system with the respectable shopkeepers, to whose tender mercies we consign them.
They entered a long, hilly, irregular street, the houses of which had been erected "in firm despite of beauty and of taste;" nevertheless, they accommodated the progeny of labour well, and were, in general, kept so clean and comfortable, as to attract the admiration of Lady Allerton; but the candidate's lady had seen a more attractive object. Two fine boys, each about two years old, had come out from either side the way, and were embracing in the middle of the street. They reminded her so much of little Frank and his cousin, that she fancied even their features resembled them; and, darting forwards, she caught the one she deemed most like her own, and kissed him fondly, for his face and hands were clean, and his clothing decent, though coarse; his mother was at the door, and he flew eagerly in terror to her arms, on which, Isabella said to the woman, apologetically,
"I thought he was like my own little boy, (though he is bigger,) so I kissed him; but I have got some sugarplums in my bag; I hope he will forgive me."
As she spoke, she entered the house, and took some comfits from her reticule, which made immediate peace with herself and the heir, whose father, a well-looking young blacksmith, who had just stepped in from his workshop behind to look at the quality ladies, observed,
"My Tom's like a many more hereabouts, marm, he's all for what he can get; you're a seekin for votes, I takes it, so you'll soon find that out."
"Are there many people here who have no work? I mean people who are in poverty, against their own will and endeavours."
"Yes, marm, I know three families in right down misery, hard-working creatures, too, as ever were born, in this very street."
"Will you lead me to them? or will you take them help from me? you have an honest face; I am sure I can trust you."
"I'll show you where they live, but I don't advise you to go into the first, for the fever it is that has pulled 'em down, and as you've a little lad o' yer own, it winnot be proper."
"No, I dare not go; but you will take them these four sovereigns."
"Why, for sure I will; but I'm afeard James'll not live to vote."
"I didn't think about voting, I had forgot all about it;" said the fair canvasser, with all the simplicity of truth; "but there are two others in great distress; take them each a sovereign; when I have got more they shall have more; but I must not stay now, my companions are leaving me."
"We are none of us rich in this street, marm;" said the woman.
"Nor many of us to call poor, we are all pretty farrantly;" added the man.
"I am sure you are not, for every thing is so nice and clean, and you are happy in each other; and little Tommy! he is riches enough—like my Frank, who is every thing to me, and your feelings are the same as mine, so I expect you to give my husband a vote, without teazing you or affronting you by unlawful offers."
"I scorns all people that do such things," said the husband, "but I makes no promises till the time comes."
As he spoke, he left the house, and Isabella, placing four sovereigns in the wife's hand, said—"These are to be put into the saving-bank for Tommy; they are not your's, remember, but his; so take care of them."
She had been lucky at her outset, and she continued to be so, for her few sovereigns for the sick had been well spent; but those were not the only cases demanding pity and help, and it cannot be supposed that many were not venal and craving, that she was not frequently thrown back on her mother's words, and might have been so, on her mother's conduct, had she known it, but she was of an age to laugh at peccadilloes her graver sposo might have viewed with sterner eyes, or with more shrinking disgust; and Mr. Wigram began to be tolerably satisfied with the result of a week's residence at the borough, although many had refused to promise, and a proportion of those who had promised were doubtful; so much was the general sense of the lower orders against Conservatives, that, although many also protested against the Whigs, their opponents, he had great reason to doubt whether they would accept of either. It was well that both parties should put a good face on the affair, in order to prevent a third starting up in the shape of a spouting pedagogue, or a reasoning shoemaker, either of whom might carry the day by a coup-de-main, and both of whom, what ever might be their merits or demerits, were considered incorruptible, therefore remained untempted, for worlds would not have induced Glentworth to tamper with principle, or unsettle conscience.
It was in the forenoon of the day preceding the election that Lord Meersbrook and his brother drove into the town, and were gladly hailed by Lord and Lady Allerton, who had been watching the construction of the hustings, and gladly pointed out to them the inn where they would find their friends. This circumstance informed the carpenters of the actual arrival of that friend of the elder candidate, whom they considered the latest wonder of the world, and respecting whom an interest had been awakened which would, at least, ensure that immense attendance at the hustings, which never fails to give an impetus to the proceedings. There is much of animal magnetism in all large bodies; the preaching of Peter, the hermit, which sent half Europe to the Crusades, would have taken very little effect if delivered in a parish church, to a small congregation. Every newspaper had told of the sufferings and escape of the Thetis.
The sisters did not learn any thing painfully now respecting their mother; for the execution business was from delicacy perfectly concealed, but Arthur could not forbear giving a sufficient revelation of other matters on the tapis to fill their hearts with the sincerest joy. Often had each calculated on the happiness of offering a home to dear Helen when she should require one, but they could not fail to rejoice that she was likely to be so honourably situated, and blessed by a partner so singularly amiable and worthy. As, in the course of the evening, Penrhyn also arrived, and had volumes to tell the candidate and his lady, of little Frank's perfect health and wonderful accomplishments acquired during their absence, it will be readily believed that few more happy and united parties ever spent a gay evening together. They did not therefore forget that some distant ones there were "who were most dear," for Helen and Georgiana occupied a large space in the minds of the brothers, Louisa and her boy in that of Penrhyn; Frank was the world to his parents, and the Count and Lady Allerton who, with her lord, seemed more exempt from anxiety than the rest, gave secret though suppressed sighs, for the state of her mother. Perfect happiness is not intended to be the lot of imperfect humanity. Let us take what we can get, and be thankful.
Every one concerned in this affair arose the next morning in a state of nearly equal solicitude with Mr. Glentworth, who had certainly not a quarter as much as his lady, she being as completely absorbed by it as any one in a state of sanity could well be by such a reason. She had laboured more in the good cause than he was aware, and dipped perhaps farther into his purse, though under Mr. Wigram's auspices, than he might approve, if unsuccessful; therefore every circumstance tended to make it a matter of almost distressing anxiety to her. She, nevertheless, did as her mother bade her, dressed well and looked smilingly, occupying a window canopied by green boughs, supported by green flags, from whence she gave green ribbons in abundance. Lady Allerton, similarly placed and employed, occupied the adjoining one, both ladies supported by gentlemen who had now become so interested in the affair that they exerted themselves as much as if their own life or honour depended upon its success, thus verifying Lady Anne's assertion, that people in the country having few opportunities of experiencing excitement, generally make the most of them.
But of all who were concerned, the most anxious and active was Mr. Wigram, who, from the dawn of day, was busied with arrangements of all descriptions; and, having learnt that his opponents had expressed much surprise on finding him they had contemptuously considered only a commercial man, accompanied by two noblemen (said to be his relations), and warmly supported by Sir Henry Scriven, a baronet of much mark in the county, and a great number of gentlemen, it was his object to strengthen the impression.
Horses, carriages, music, provisions, flags, and fantoccini, whatever could sustain life, or amuse it, excite good humour and keep it up by song or sound, promise or reality; objects to charm the eye, or divert the mind, were resorted to: and, by the aid of jingling bells, bawling ballad singers, cracked trumpets and fiddles without number, before nine o'clock, when the candidates and their respective friends sat down to breakfast, and when many a barrel of old October and round of beef awaited the will of the public, Keenborough was as much alive as Smithfield at Bartlemy fair.