CHAPTER XLIV.
The Election for the Chelsea Districts.
March came, and still the Chancellor of the Exchequer held hisposition. In the early days of March there was given in the House acertain parliamentary explanation on the subject, which, however, didnot explain very much to any person. A statement was made which wasdeclared by the persons making it to be altogether satisfactory, butnobody else seemed to find any satisfaction in it. The big wigs ofthe Cabinet had made an arrangement which, from the language usedby them on this occasion, they must be supposed to have regarded ashardly less permanent than the stars; but everybody else protestedthat the Government was going to pieces; and Mr. Bott was heardto declare in clubs and lobbies, and wherever he could get asemi-public, political hearing, that this kind of thing wouldn't do.Lord Brock must either blow hot or cold. If he chose to lean upon Mr.Palliser, he might lean upon him, and Mr. Palliser would not be foundwanting. In such case no opposition could touch Lord Brock or theGovernment. That was Mr. Bott's opinion. But if Lord Brock did not sochoose, why, in that case, he must expect that Mr. Palliser, and Mr.Palliser's friends, would--. Mr. Bott did not say what they would do;but he was supposed by those who understood the matter to hint at anOpposition lobby, and adverse divisions, and to threaten Lord Brockwith the open enmity of Mr. Palliser,--and of Mr. Palliser's greatfollower.
"This kind of thing won't do long, you know," repeated Mr. Bott forthe second or third time, as he stood upon the rug before the fire athis club, with one or two of his young friends around him.
"I suppose not," said Calder Jones, the hunting Member of Parliamentwhom we once met at Roebury. "Planty Pall won't stand it, I shouldsay."
"What can he do?" asked another, an unfledged Member who was not asyet quite settled as to the leadership under which he intended towork.
"What can he do?" said Mr. Bott, who on such an occasion as this couldbe very great,--who, for a moment, could almost feel that he mightbecome a leader of a party for himself, and some day institute a BottMinistry. "What can he do? You will very shortly see what he can do.He can make himself the master of the occasion. If Lord Brock doesn'tlook about him, he'll find that Mr. Palliser will be in the Cabinetwithout his help."
"You don't mean to say that the Queen will send for Planty Pall!"said the young Member.
"I mean to say that the Queen will send for any one that the Houseof Commons may direct her to call upon," said Mr. Bott, who conceivedhimself to have gauged the very depths of our glorious Constitution."How hard it is to make any one understand that the Queen has reallynothing to do with it!"
"Come, Bott, draw it mild," said Calder Jones, whose loyalty wasshocked by the utter Manchesterialism of his political friend.
"Not if I know it," said Mr. Bott, with something of grandeur in histone and countenance. "I never drew it mild yet, and I shan't beginnow. All our political offences against civilization have come frommen drawing it mild, as you call it. Why is it that Englishmen can'tread and write as Americans do? Why can't they vote as they do evenin Imperial France? Why are they serfs, less free than those whosechains were broken the other day in Russia? Why is the Spaniard morehappy, and the Italian more contented? Because men in power have beendrawing it mild!" And Mr. Bott made an action with his hand as thoughhe were drawing up beer from a patent tap.
"But you can't set aside Her Majesty like that, you know," said theyoung Member, who had been presented, and whose mother's old-worldnotions about the throne still clung to him.
"I should be very sorry," said Mr. Bott; "I'm no republican." Withall his constitutional love, Mr. Bott did not know what the wordrepublican meant. "I mean no disrespect to the throne. The throne inits place is very well. But the power of governing this great nationdoes not rest with the throne. It is contained within the four wallsof the House of Commons. That is the great truth which all youngMembers should learn, and take to their hearts."
"And you think Planty Pall will become Prime Minister?" said CalderJones.
"I haven't said that; but there are more unlikely things. Among youngmen I know no man more likely. But I certainly think this,--that ifLord Brock doesn't take him into the Cabinet, Lord Brock won't longremain there himself."
In the meantime the election came on in the Chelsea districts, andthe whole of the south-western part of the metropolis was coveredwith posters bearing George Vavasor's name. "Vote for Vavasor and theRiver Bank." That was the cry with which he went to the electors; andthough it must be presumed that it was understood by some portion ofthe Chelsea electors, it was perfectly unintelligible to the majorityof those who read it. His special acquaintances and his generalenemies called him Viscount Riverbank, and he was pestered on allsides by questions as to Father Thames. It was Mr. Scruby who inventedthe legend, and who gave George Vavasor an infinity of trouble by theinvention. There was a question in those days as to embanking theriver from the Houses of Parliament up to the remote desolationsof further Pimlico, and Mr. Scruby recommended the coming Memberto pledge himself that he would have the work carried on even toBattersea Bridge. "You must have a subject," pleaded Mr. Scruby. "Noyoung Member can do anything without a subject. And it should belocal;--that is to say, if you have anything of a constituency. Sucha subject as that, if it's well worked, may save you thousands ofpounds--thousands of pounds at future elections."
"It won't save me anything at this one, I take it."
"But it may secure the seat, Mr. Vavasor, and afterwards make you themost popular metropolitan Member in the House; that is, with yourown constituency. Only look at the money that would be spent in thedistricts if that were done! It would come to millions, sir!"
"But it never will be done."
"What matters that?" and Mr. Scruby almost became eloquent as heexplained the nature of a good parliamentary subject. "You shouldwork it up, so as to be able to discuss it at all points. Get thefigures by heart, and then, as nobody else will do so, nobody can putyou down. Of course it won't be done. If it were done, that would bean end of it, and your bread would be taken out of your mouth. Butyou can always promise it at the hustings, and can always demandit in the House. I've known men who've walked into as much as twothousand a year, permanent place, on the strength of a worse subjectthan that!"
Vavasor allowed Mr. Scruby to manage the matter for him, and tookup the subject of the River Bank. "Vavasor and the River Bank"was carried about by an army of men with iron shoulder-straps,and huge pasteboard placards six feet high on the top of them.You would think, as you saw the long rows, that the men werebeing marshalled to their several routes; but they always kepttogether--four-and-twenty at the heels of each other. "One placardat a time would strike the eye," said Mr. Vavasor, counting theexpense up to himself. "There's no doubt of it," said Mr. Scruby inreply. "One placard will do that, if it's big enough; but it takesfour-and-twenty to touch the imagination." And then sides of houseswere covered with that shibboleth--"Vavasor and the River Bank"--thesame words repeated in columns down the whole sides of houses.Vavasor himself declared that he was ashamed to walk among his futureconstituents, so conspicuous had his name become. Grimes saw it,and was dismayed. At first, Grimes ridiculed the cry with all hispublican's wit. "Unless he mean to drown hisself in the Reach, it'shard to say what he do mean by all that gammon about the River Bank,"said Grimes, as he canvassed for the other Liberal candidate. But,after a while, Grimes was driven to confess that Mr. Scruby knew whathe was about. "He is a sharp 'un, that he is," said Grimes in theinside bar of the "Handsome Man;" and he almost regretted that hehad left the leadership of Mr. Scruby, although he knew that on thisoccasion he would not have gotten his odd money.
George Vavasor, with much labour, actually did get up the subject ofthe River Bank. He got himself introduced to men belonging to theMetropolitan Board, and went manfully into the matter of pounds,shillings, and pence. He was able even to work himself into anapparent heat when he was told that the thing was out of thequestion and soon found that he had disciples who really believed inh
im. If he could have brought himself to believe in the thing,--ifhe could have been induced himself to care whether Chelsea was tobe embanked or no, the work would not have been so difficult to him.In that case it would have done good to him, if to no one else. Butsuch belief was beyond him. He had gone too far in life to be capableof believing in, or of caring for, such things. He was ambitiousof having a hand in the government of his country, but he was notcapable of caring even for that.
But he worked. He worked hard, and spoke vehemently, and promisedthe men of Chelsea, Pimlico, and Brompton that the path of Londonwestwards had hardly commenced as yet. Sloane Street should be thenew Cheapside. Squares should arise around the Chelsea barracks, withsides open to the water, for which Belgravia would be deserted. Thereshould be palaces there for the rich, because the rich spend theirriches; but no rich man's palace should interfere with the poor man'sright to the River Bank. Three millions and a half should be spenton the noble street to be constructed, the grandest pathway that theworld should ever yet have seen; three millions and a half to bedrawn from,--to be drawn from anywhere except from Chelsea;--from thebloated money-bags of the City Corporation, Vavasor once venturedto declare, amidst the encouraging shouts of the men of Chelsea. Mr.Scruby was forced to own that his pupil worked the subject well."Upon my word, that was uncommon good," he said, almost pattingVavasor on the back, after a speech in which he had vehementlyasserted that his ambition to represent the Chelsea districts had allcome of his long-fixed idea that the glory of future London would bebrought about by the embankment of the river at Chelsea.
But armies of men carrying big boards, and public-houses open atevery corner, and placards in which the letters are three feet long,cost money. Those few modest hundreds which Mr. Scruby had alreadyreceived before the work began, had been paid on the supposition thatthe election would not take place till September. Mr. Scruby made anearly request, a very early request, that a further sum of fifteenhundred pounds should be placed in his hands; and he did this ina tone which clearly signified that not a man would be sent aboutthrough the streets, or a poster put upon a wall, till this requesthad been conceded. Mr. Scruby was in possession of two very distinctmanners of address. In his jovial moods, when he was instigating hisclients to fight their battles well, it might almost be thought thathe was doing it really for the love of the thing; and some clients,so thinking, had believed for a few hours that Scruby, in hisjolly, passionate eagerness, would pour out his own money like dust,trusting implicitly to future days for its return. But such clientshad soon encountered Mr. Scruby's other manner, and had perceived thatthey were mistaken.
The thing had come so suddenly upon George Vavasor that there was nottime for him to carry on his further operations through his sister.Had he written to Kate,--let him have written in what language hewould,--she would have first rejoined by a negative, and there wouldhave been a correspondence before he had induced her to comply.He thought of sending for her by telegram, but even in that therewould have been too much delay. He resolved, therefore, to make hisapplication to Alice himself, and he wrote to her, explaining hiscondition. The election had come upon him quite suddenly, as sheknew, he said. He wanted two thousand pounds instantly, and feltlittle scruple in asking her for it, as he was aware that the oldSquire would be only too glad to saddle the property with a legacyto Alice for the repayment of this money, though he would not haveadvanced a shilling himself for the purpose of the election. Thenhe said a word or two as to his prolonged absence from Queen AnneStreet. He had not been there because he had felt, from her mannerwhen they last met, that she would for a while prefer to be left freefrom the unavoidable excitement of such interviews. But should he betriumphant in his present contest, he should go to her to share histriumph with her; or, should he fail, he should go to her to consolehim in his failure.
Within three days he heard from her, saying that the money wouldbe at once placed to his credit. She sent him also her candid goodwishes for success in his enterprise, but beyond this her lettersaid nothing. There was no word of love,--no word of welcome,--noexpression of a desire to see him. Vavasor, as he perceived all thisin the reading of her note, felt a triumph in the possession of hermoney. She was ill-using him by her coldness, and there was comfortin revenge. "It serves her right," he said to himself. "She shouldhave married me at once when she said she would do so, and then itwould have been my own."
When Mr. Tombe had communicated with John Grey on the matter of thisincreased demand,--this demand which Mr. Tombe began to regard ascarrying a love-affair rather too far,--Grey had telegraphed backthat Vavasor's demand for money, if made through Mr. John Vavasor, wasto be honoured to the extent of five thousand pounds. Mr. Tombe raisedhis eyebrows, and reflected that some men were very foolish. But JohnGrey's money matters were of such a nature as to make Mr. Tombe knowthat he must do as he was bidden; and the money was paid to GeorgeVavasor's account.
He told Kate nothing of this. Why should he trouble himself to do so?Indeed, at this time he wrote no letters to his sister, though shetwice sent to him, knowing what his exigencies would be, and madefurther tenders of her own money. He could not reply to these offerswithout telling her that money had been forthcoming from that otherquarter, and so he left them unanswered.
In the meantime the battle went on gloriously. Mr. Travers, the otherLiberal candidate, spent his money freely,--or else some other persondid so on his behalf. When Mr. Scruby mentioned this last alternativeto George Vavasor, George cursed his own luck in that he had neverfound such backers. "I don't call a man half a Member when he'sbrought in like that," said Mr. Scruby, comforting him. "He can't dowhat he likes with his vote. He ain't independent. You never hear ofthose fellows getting anything good. Pay for the article yourself, Mr.Vavasor, and then it's your own. That's what I always say."
Mr. Grimes went to work strenuously, almost fiercely, in the oppositeinterest, telling all that he knew, and perhaps more than he knew, ofVavasor's circumstances. He was at work morning, noon, and night, notonly in his own neighbourhood, but among those men on the river bankof whom he had spoken so much in his interview with Vavasor in CecilStreet. The entire Vavasorian army with its placards was entirelyupset on more than one occasion, and was once absolutely drivenignominiously into the river mud. And all this was done under thedirection of Mr. Grimes. Vavasor himself was pelted with offal fromthe sinking tide, so that the very name of the River Bank becameodious to him. He was a man who did not like to have his persontouched, and when they hustled him he became angry. "Lord love you,Mr. Vavasor," said Scruby, "that's nothing! I've had a candidate somauled,--it was in the Hamlets, I think,--that there wasn't a spoton him that wasn't painted with rotten eggs. The smell was somethingquite awful. But I brought him in, through it all."
And Mr. Scruby at last did as much for George Vavasor as he had donefor the hero of the Hamlets. At the close of the poll Vavasor's namestood at the head by a considerable majority, and Scruby comfortedhim by saying that Travers certainly wouldn't stand the expense of apetition, as the seat was to be held only for a few months.
"And you've done it very cheap, Mr. Vavasor," said Scruby,"considering that the seat is metropolitan. I do say that you havedone it cheap. Another thousand, or twelve hundred, will covereverything--say thirteen, perhaps, at the outside. And when you shallhave fought the battle once again, you'll have paid your footing, andthe fellows will let you in almost for nothing after that."
A further sum of thirteen hundred pounds was wanted at once, and thenthe whole thing was to be repeated over again in six months' time!This was not consolatory. But, nevertheless, there was a triumph inthe thing itself which George Vavasor was man enough to enjoy. Itwould be something to have sat in the House of Commons, though itshould only have been for half a session.