It would have been well for Sir Roger if he had trusted solely to Mr Closerstil; well also for Mr Romer had he never fished in those troubled waters.  In due process of time the hearing of the petition came on, and then who so happy, sitting at his ease in the London inn, blowing his cloud from a long pipe, with measureless content, as Mr Reddypalm?  Mr Reddypalm was the one great man of the contest.  All depended on Mr Reddypalm; and well he did his duty.

The result of the petition was declared by the committee to be read as follows:—­that Sir Roger’s election was null and void—­that Sir Roger had, by his agent, been guilty of bribery in obtaining a vote, by the payment of a bill alleged to have been previously refused payment—­this is always a matter of course;—­but that Sir Roger’s agent, Mr Romer, had been willingly guilty of bribery with reference to the transaction above declared.  Poor Sir Roger!  Poor Mr Romer.

Poor Mr Romer indeed!  His fate was perhaps as sad as well might be, and as foul a blot to the purism of these very pure times in which we live.  Not long after those days, it so happening that some considerable amount of youthful energy and quidnunc ability were required to set litigation afloat at Hong Kong, Mr Romer was sent thither as the fittest man for such work, with rich assurance of future guerdon.  Who are so happy then as Mr Romer!  But even among the pure there is room for envy and detraction.  Mr Romer had not yet ceased to wonder at new worlds, as he skimmed among the islands of that southern ocean, before the edict had gone forth for his return.  There were men sitting in that huge court of Parliament on whose breasts it lay as an intolerable burden, that England should be represented among the antipodes by one who had tampered with the purity of the franchise.  For them there was no rest till this great disgrace should be wiped out and atoned for.  Men they were of that calibre, that the slightest reflection on them of such a stigma seemed to themselves to blacken their own character.  They could not break bread with satisfaction till Mr Romer was recalled.  He was recalled, and of course ruined—­and the minds of those just men were then at peace.

To any honourable gentleman who really felt his brow suffused with a patriotic blush, as he thought of his country dishonoured by Mr Romer’s presence at Hong Kong—­to any such gentleman, if any such there were, let all honour be given, even though the intensity of his purity may create amazement to our less finely organized souls.  But if no such blush suffused the brow of any honourable gentleman; if Mr Romer was recalled from quite other feelings—­what then in lieu of honour shall we allot to those honourable gentlemen who were most concerned?

Sir Roger, however, lost his seat, and, after three months of the joys of legislation, found himself reduced by a terrible blow to the low level of private life.