"Let me convince you of this." And Dick pulled out a little book, bound
neatly in red.

"Canvass book, my Lord. I am no aristocrat. I don't pretend to carry a
free and independent constituency in my breeches' pocket. Heaven forbid!
But as a practical man of business, what I do is done properly. Just
look at this book.

"Well kept, eh? Names, promises, inclinations, public opinions, and
private interests of every individual Lansmere elector! Now, as one man
of honour to another, I show you this book, and I think you will see that
we have a clear majority of at least eighty votes as against Mr.
Egerton."

"That is your view of the question," said Harley, taking the book and
glancing over the names catalogued and ticketed therein. But his
countenance became serious as he recognized many names familiar to his
boyhood as those of important electors on the Lansmere side, and which he
now found transferred to the hostile. "But surely there are persons here
in whom you deceive yourself,--old friends of my family, stanch
supporters of our party."

"Exactly so. But this new question has turned all old things topsy-
turvy. No relying on any friend of yours. No reliance except in this
book!" said Dick, slapping the red cover with calm but ominous emphasis.

"Now, what I want to propose is this: Don't let the Lansmere interest be
beaten; it would vex the old earl,--go to his heart, I am sure."