BOOK II.


CHAPTER I.


It was early in November, 1834, and a large shooting party was assembled
at Beaumanoir, the seat of that great nobleman, who was the father of
Henry Sydney. England is unrivalled for two things, sporting and politics.
They were combined at Beaumanoir; for the guests came not merely to
slaughter the Duke's pheasants, but to hold council on the prospects of
the party, which it was supposed by the initiated, began at this time to
indicate some symptoms of brightening.

The success of the Reform Ministry on their first appeal to the new
constituency which they had created, had been fatally complete. But the
triumph was as destructive to the victors as to the vanquished.

'We are too strong,' prophetically exclaimed one of the fortunate cabinet,
which found itself supported by an inconceivable majority of three
hundred. It is to be hoped that some future publisher of private memoirs
may have preserved some of the traits of that crude and short-lived
parliament, when old Cobbett insolently thrust Sir Robert from the
prescriptive seat of the chief of opposition, and treasury understrappers
sneered at the 'queer lot' that had arrived from Ireland, little
foreseeing what a high bidding that 'queer lot' would eventually command.