Phineas Finn

iends, drove himself over to Castlemorris to tell his news to the Earl, as soon as he got a second letter from his son declaring his intention of proceeding with the bus

thinking that if there was to be a Liberal candidate at Loughshane, no consideration of old pill-boxes and gallipots should deter his son Phineas from standing. Other considerat

he doctor had told his story. "Then I'll

rt him, Lo

h me in the country that my support will rob him of his chance! I

my l

l; g

itics myself, as you know; but my

of preaching, was not surprised at the decision of the Conservative bestower of Irish Church patronage; but on this subject he said nothing. "And as for George," continued the Earl, "I will never lift my hand again for him. His standing for Loughshane would be quite out of the question. My own tenants wouldn't vote for him if I were to ask them myself. Peter Blake" - Mr Peter Blake was the lord's agent - "told me on

his son's way was already removed. He certainly had not gone to Castlemorris with any idea of canvassing for his son, and yet he had canvassed for him most satisfactorily. When he got home he did not know how to speak of the matter otherwise than triumphantly to his wife and daughters. Though he desired to curse, his mouth would spe

to stand," said Barrington Erle to P

him. His brother means to

n hardly

er has known the Earl these tw

us a trick, are you?" said Mr Erle, w

ort of

ming out on th

he Earl, though each of you carried seats in your breeches pockets. If I go into Parliament, I shall go there as a sound Li

regarded that man as being both unstable as water and dishonest as the wind. No good could possibly come from such a one, and much evil might and probably would come. Such a politician was a Greek to Barrington Erle, from whose hands he feared to accept even the gift of a vote. Parliamentary hermits were distasteful to him, and dwellers in political caves were regarded by him with aversion as being either knavish or impractical. With a good Conservative opponent he could shake hands almost as readily as with a good Whig ally; but the man who was neither flesh nor fowl was odious to him. According to his theory of parliamentary government, the House of Commons should be divided by a marked line, and every member should be required to stand on one side of it or on the other. "If not with me, at any rate be against me," he would have said to every representative of the people in the name of the great leader whom he followed. He thought that debates were good, because of the people outside - because they ser

of the vanity of a plunging colt who resents the liberty even of a touch. "By the end of the first session the thong will be cracked over his head, as he

r all on the wrong side," sa

be unpleasant, but he thought that old Lord Tu

d to express his views on the government of the country in the Earl's sitting-room at Castlemorris. There was, however, a good time coming; and so, for the present, he allowed the Earl to ramble on about the sins of his brother George, and the want of all proper pedigree on the part of the new Dean of Kilfenora. The conference ended with an assurance on the part of Lord Tulla that if the Loughshaners chose to elect Mr Phineas Finn he would not be in the least offended. The elect

his misgivings - had great misgivings, fearful forebodings; but there was the young man elected, and he could not help it. He could not refuse his right hand to his son or withdraw his paternal assistance because that son had been specially h

y should have disembarrassed itself; but with him, now serving with his regiment in India, we shall have no concern. Mrs Flood Jones was living modestly at Killaloe on her widow's jointure - Floodborough having, to tell

id to her friend Mary, up in some bedroom privacy befor

must," s

t, my dear; he is s

re is no question about it, because he has never s

nonsense

e blessed Virgin watches over us -

bout the Virg

Your brother is not

vening is over. He was walking with

each other all our lives? But, Barbara, pra

n't I cut out m

this way. There has never been anything be

m you mean

go out among great people and be a great man; and I've already found ou

ura Fidd

ow, may look up to anybody,"

to look up to

ld be looking down; and he is so proud that he'll never do

ere are girls so cold-looking - pretty girls, too, ladylike, discreet, and armed with all accomplishments - whom to attack seems to require the same sort of courage, and the same sort of preparation, as a journey in quest of the north-west passage, he thinks of a pedestal near the Athenaeum as the most appropriate and most honourable reward of such courage. But, again, there are other girls to abstain from attacking whom is, to a man of any warmth of temperament, quite impossible. They are like wa

all Killaloe knew that Mary had no love for Mr Bodkin, and when Mr Bodkin handed her the hot cake she hardly so much as smiled at him. But in two minutes Phineas was behind her chair, and then she smiled; and in five minutes more she had got herself so twi

ow morning by the earl

ll you have to begin -

y seat on Friday. I'm g

we hear of your

in ten who go into Parliam

hope you will distinguish yourself - because of y

that all

that

e a bit about

ren? Of course it will be a great pride to me that a person whom I ha

be talked about

in Parliament. Only think - I never saw a

the bishop sc

reads anything about him in the newspapers. I shall expect to see your name very often, and I shall a

you when I come back, af

r will. You will be going somewhere to see Lady Lau

with your prospects, you should go as much as possibl

out six f

I don't bel

s though she were

so insignifica

s unlike you as possible in everything. She has thick lumpy red hair, wh

her out to be an ogress, and y

nd in spite of large hands and straggling figure, she is handsome. One can't tell what it is. One can see

in love with

n the world, I suppose that I am the last that has a r

I hope y

. If I was not fool enough to have what men call a

t to have; and I've no doubt that we shall hear of your marriage soon - very soon.

ith Mary again till there came a moment for him to put her cloak over her shoulders in the back parlour, while Mrs Flood Jones was finishing some important na

ut a single word of love-making beyond what th

taken and given before she had even ans

I? And, Mary, I will have

is pocket before she was ready with her resistance. There was nothing further - not a word more, and M

don't you, Phine

yourself about such trifles. But mind you'r

t expedition to Parliament. His father gave him an extra twenty-pound note, and begged him for God's sake to be careful about his money. His mother told him always to h