The Duke had occupied a chief post in the Household under the late
administration, and his present guests chiefly consisted of his former
colleagues in office. There were several members of the late cabinet,
several members for his Grace's late boroughs, looking very much like
martyrs, full of suffering and of hope. Mr. Tadpole and Mr. Taper were
also there; they too had lost their seats since 1832; but being men of
business, and accustomed from early life to look about them, they had
already commenced the combinations which on a future occasion were to bear
them back to the assembly where they were so missed.

Taper had his eye on a small constituency which had escaped the fatal
schedules, and where he had what they called a 'connection;' that is to
say, a section of the suffrages who had a lively remembrance of Treasury
favours once bestowed by Mr. Taper, and who had not been so liberally
dealt with by the existing powers. This connection of Taper was in time to
leaven the whole mass of the constituent body, and make it rise in full
rebellion against its present liberal representative, who being one of a
majority of three hundred, could get nothing when he called at Whitehall
or Downing Street.

Tadpole, on the contrary, who was of a larger grasp of mind than Taper,
with more of imagination and device but not so safe a man, was coquetting
with a manufacturing town and a large constituency, where he was to
succeed by the aid of the Wesleyans, of which pious body he had suddenly
become a fervent admirer. The great Mr. Rigby, too, was a guest out of
Parliament, nor caring to be in; but hearing that his friends had some
hopes, he thought he would just come down to dash them.

The political grapes were sour for Mr. Rigby; a prophet of evil, he