That vast army of figures might be but a phantom army conjured out of the Radical mists, might it not? she hinted.  And besides, we cannot surely require a Government to speculate in the future, can we?

Possibly not, as Governments go, Beauchamp said.

But what think you of a Government of landowners decreeing the enclosure of millions of acres of common land amongst themselves; taking the property of the people to add to their own!  Say, is not that plunder?  Public property, observe; decreed to them by their own law-making, under the pretence that it was being reclaimed for cultivation, when in reality it has been but an addition to their pleasure-grounds:  a flat robbery of pasture from the poor man’s cow and goose, and his right of cutting furze for firing.  Consider that!  Beauchamp’s eyes flashed democratic in reciting this injury to the objects of his warm solicitude—­the man, the cow, and the goose.  But so must he have looked when fronting England’s enemies, and his aspect of fervour subdued Cecilia.  She confessed her inability to form an estimate of such conduct.

‘Are they doing it still?’ she asked.

’We owe it to Dr. Shrapnel foremost that there is now a watch over them to stop them.  But for him, Grancey Lespel would have enclosed half of Northeden Heath.  As it is, he has filched bits here and there, and he will have to put back his palings.’

However, now let Cecilia understand that we English, calling ourselves free, are under morally lawless rule.  Government is what we require, and our means of getting it must be through universal suffrage.  At present we have no Government; only shifting Party Ministries, which are the tools of divers interests, wealthy factions, to the sacrifice of the Commonwealth.

She listened, like Rosamund Culling overborne by Dr. Shrapnel, inwardly praying that she might discover a man to reply to him.

‘A Despotism, Nevil?’

He hoped not, declined the despot, was English enough to stand against the best of men in that character; but he cast it on Tory, Whig, and Liberal, otherwise the Constitutionalists, if we were to come upon the despot.

’They see we are close on universal suffrage; they’ve been bidding each in turn for “the people,” and that has brought them to it, and now they’re alarmed, and accuse one another of treason to the Constitution, and they don’t accept the situation:  and there’s a fear, that to carry on their present system, they will be thwarting the people or corrupting them:  and in that case we shall have our despot in some shape or other, and we shall suffer.’

‘Nevil,’ said Cecilia, ‘I am out of my depth.’

‘I’ll support you; I can swim for two,’ said he.

’You are very self-confident, but I find I am not fit for battle; at least not in the front ranks.’

’Nerve me, then:  will you?  Try to comprehend once for all what the battle is.’