drives them almost quicker than they can go, so that it becomes a
necessity with them to resist rather than to aid the pressure which
will certainly be at last effective by its own strength. The best
carriage horses are those which can most steadily hold back against
the coach as it trundles down the hill. All this Phineas knew, and
was of opinion that the Barrington Erles and Ratlers of his party
would not thank him for ventilating a measure which, however certain
might be its coming, might well be postponed for a few years. Once
already in his career he had chosen to be in advance of his party,
and the consequences had been disastrous to him. On that occasion his
feelings had been strong in regard to the measure upon which he broke
away from his party; but, when he first thought of it, he did not
care much about Church disendowment.

But he found that he must needs go as he was driven or else depart
out of the place. He wrote a line to his friend Erle, not to ask
advice, but to explain the circumstances. "My only possible chance
of success will lie in attacking the Church endowments. Of course I
think they are bad, and of course I think that they must go. But I
have never cared for the matter, and would have been very willing to
leave it among those things which will arrange themselves. But I have
no choice here." And so he prepared himself to run his race on the
course arranged for him by Mr. Ruddles. Mr. Molescroft, whose hours
were precious, soon took his leave, and Phineas Finn was placarded
about the town as the sworn foe to all Church endowments.

In the course of his canvass, and the commotions consequent upon
it, he found that Mr. Ruddles was right. No other subject seemed at
the moment to have any attraction in Tankerville. Mr. Browborough,
whose life had not been passed in any strict obedience to the Ten