Beauchamp's Career -- Volume 2

elf at Mount Laurels nex

his vote, in the p

profession of politician: he spoke half-pl

are of the navy. 'Nevil!' exclaimed Cecilia. He cited beneficial Liberal bills recently passed, which she accepted for a concession of the navy to the Tories, and she smiled. In spite of her dislike of politics, she had only to listen a few minutes to be drawn into the contest: and thus it is that one hot politician makes many among women and men of a people that have

ut principles? principles?' He languished for a phrase to describe the hazy things. 'I have mine, and you have yours.

itory; with less of the gentlemanly fine taste, the light and easy social semi-irony, than Cecilia liked and would have expected from him. However, as to p

ersy: 'It's a question of my vote, and my liking. I like a Tory Government, and I don't like the Liberals. I like gentlemen; I don't like a

on,' said Beauchamp; 'and if your gentlemen by birth a

ure, to create a panic that do

cilia threw stress o

ernal condition of the country was now t

ou seen of the country?'

ing districts, the centres of industry; wherever there was dissatisfaction. I ha

pap

the mirror of

a mirror, Nevil?' said Cecil

be glad to see what you see,

ommander Beauchamp. 'Did you like it?' he asked. 'Ah, but if you meddle with politics, you must submit to be held up on the prongs

er intellect stood in arms. Yet more hurt was she by the reflection that a too lively sensibility might have conjured up the idea of the compliment. And again, she wondered at herself for not resenting so rare a presumption as it implied, and not disdainin

insufficiency or feebleness was discernible? She discovered that he could be easily fretted by similes

said, after listening to an attack on the Tories for their

ourse of it, Cecilia;

camara of a

r me! Tory arguments al

to pretend to have only one cure for mortal maladi

call m

e of denial: 'but if the country is the patient, a

taphor for an evasion,' sa

was at all necessary; so tedious that he

ck-that's one in the

, well-advised enough to forbear

u were for principles rather than for individuals, and you instanced Mr. Cougham, the senior Liberal candidate of Bevisham, as one whom you would prefer to see in Parliament instead of Seymour Au

said he,

equivalent to the doctri

erjected: 'Gr

to his inability to

ept my creed, and thou art of the chosen. Yes, Nevil, you ca

men,' the colonel flouris

old timber vessels, when

cilia, taken by the unexpectedness and smartness of the c

ed until I surrender my vo

air of it,' s

Bevisham, I warn you. Tory reckonings are safest: it's an admitted fact: and we

cement, Cecilia thought, that the apathy of his class was proved when such as he deemed it an obligation on them to come forward and do what little they could. The deduction of t

him with her father, to be charita

niversal apathy. Will you inform me, papa, what the Tories are doing? Do we really give our consciences to the keeping of the parsons once a week, and let them dogmatize for us to save us from exertion? We must attach ourselves to principles; nothing is permanent but principles. Poor Nevil! And still I am sure you

he other great-nephew of hers were in England, for us to run him against Nevil Beauchamp. He's t

eople here. And if he should dogmatize so much as to rouse our apathy to denounce his principles, we will remember that we are British, and can be sweet-blooded in opp

nded them to me to read,' said the colonel. 'I do like to see tolerably sol

sting to study, and not

ci

objections to the sort of amu

ng a word for poor Nev

Beauchamp, Cecilia soon had to confess th