'I am sure you would not,' said Mr. Romer.
'But,' said Reddypalm, 'a man likes to be paid his little bill.'
'Surely, surely,' said the barrister.
'And I did say two years since, when your friend Mr. Closerstil brought a friend of his down to stand here—it wasn't Sir Roger then—but when he brought a friend of his down, and when I drew two or three hogsheads of ale on their side, and when my bill was questioned and only half-settled, I did say that I wouldn't interfere with no election no more. And no more I will, Mr. Romer,—unless it be to give a quiet vote for the nobleman under whom I and mine always lived respectable.'
'Oh!' said Mr. Romer.
'A man do like to have his bill paid, you know, Mr. Romer.'
Mr. Romer could not but acknowledge that this was a natural feeling on the part of an ordinary mortal publican.
'It goes agin the grain with a man not to have his little bill paid, and specially at election time,' again urged Mr. Reddypalm.
Mr. Romer had not much time to think about it; but he knew well that matters were so nearly balanced, that the votes of Mr. Reddypalm and his son were of inestimable value.
'If it's only about your bill,' said Mr. Romer, 'I'll see to have that settled. I'll speak to Closerstil about that.'
'All right!' said Reddypalm, seizing the young barrister's hand and shaking it warmly; 'all right!' And late in the afternoon, when a vote or two became matter of intense interest, Mr. Reddypalm and his son came up to the hustings and boldly tendered theirs for their old friend, Sir Roger.
There was a great deal of eloquence heard in Barchester on that day. Sir Roger had by this time so far recovered as to be able to go through the dreadfully hard work of canvassing and addressing the electors from eight in the morning till near sunset. A very perfect recovery, most men will say. Yes; a perfect recovery as regarded the temporary use of his faculties, both physical and mental; though it may be doubted whether there can be any permanent recovery from such disease as his. What amount of brandy he consumed to enable him to perform this election work, and what lurking evil effect the excitement might have on him—of these matters no record was kept in the history of those proceedings.
Sir Roger's eloquence was of a rough kind; but not perhaps the less operative on those for whom it was intended. The aristocracy of Barchester consisted chiefly of clerical dignitaries, bishops, deans, prebendaries, and such like: on them and theirs it was not probable that anything said by Sir Roger would have
