 them, even as great ocean smoothes away the
dear vanished man's immediate circle of foam, and rapidly confounds the rippling
memory of him with its other agitations. And in such a case the apparition of
his head upon our common level once more will almost certainly cause a
disagreeable shock; nor is it improbable that his first natural snorts in his
native element, though they be simply to obtain his share of the breath of life,
will draw down on him condemnation for eccentric behaviour and unmannerly; and
this in spite of the jewel he brings, unless it be an exceedingly splendid one.
The reason is, that our brave world cannot pardon a breach of continuity for any
petty bribe.
    Thus it chanced, owing to the prolonged efforts of Mr. Romfrey and Cecil
Baskelett to get fun out of him, at the cost of considerable inventiveness, that
the electoral Address of the candidate, signing himself »R. C. S. Nevil
Beauchamp,« to the borough of Bevisham, did not issue from an altogether
unremembered man.
    He had been cruising in the Mediterranean, commanding the Ariadne, the
smartest corvette in the service. He had, it was widely made known, met his
marquis in Palermo. It was presumed that he was dancing the round with her
still, when this amazing Address appeared on Bevisham's walls, in anticipation
of the general Election. The Address, moreover, was ultra-Radical: museums to be
opened on Sundays; ominous references to the Land question, etc.; no smooth
passing mention of Reform, such as the Liberal, become stately, adopts in
speaking of that property of his, but swinging blows on the heads of many a
denounced iniquity.
    Cecil forwarded the Address to Everard Romfrey without comment.
    Next day the following letter, dated from Itchincope, the house of Mr.
Grancey Lespel, on the borders of Bevisham, arrived at Steynham: -
    »I have despatched you the proclamation, folded neatly. The electors of
Bevisham are summoned, like a town at the sword's point, to yield him their
votes. Proclamation is the word. I am your born representative! I have completed
my political education on salt water, and I tackle you on the Land question. I
am the heir of your votes, gentlemen! - I forgot, and I apologize; he calls them
fellow-men. Fraternal, and not so risky. Here at Lespel's we read the thing with
shouts. It hangs in the smoking-room. We throw open the curaçoa to the
intelligence and industry of the assembled guests; we carry the
