position. A high Tory, with a great Whig interest to back him, is
never a popular person in England. No one can trust him, though there
may be those who are willing to place him, untrusted, in high
positions. Such was the case with Mr Gresham. There were many who
were willing, for family considerations, to keep him in Parliament; but
no one thought that he was fit to be there. The consequences were,
that a bitter and expensive contest ensued. Frank Gresham, when
twitted with being a Whig, foreswore the De Courcy family; and then,
when ridiculed as having been thrown over by the Tories, foreswore his
father's old friends. So between the two stools he fell to the ground,
and, as a politician, he never again rose to his feet.

He never again rose to his feet; but twice again he made violent
efforts to do so. Elections in East Barsetshire, from various causes,
came quick upon each other in those days, and before he was
eight-and-twenty years of age Mr Gresham had three times contested the
county and been three times beaten. To speak the truth of him, his own
spirit would have been satisfied with the loss of the first ten
thousand pounds; but Lady Arabella was made of higher mettle. She had
married a man with a fine place and a fine fortune; but she had
nevertheless married a commoner and had in so far derogated from her
high birth. She felt that her husband should be by rights a member of
the House of Lords; but, if not, that it was at least essential that he
should have a seat in the lower chamber. She would by degrees sink
into nothing if she allowed herself to sit down, the mere wife of a
mere county squire.

Thus instigated, Mr Gresham repeated the useless contest three times,
and repeated it each time at a serious cost. He lost his money, Lady
Arabella lost her temper, and things at Greshamsbury went on by no