evenings, when the
listening colliers, well washed and in their best coats, shook their heads with
a sense of that peculiar edification which belongs to the inexplicable. Mr
Chubb's reasons for becoming landlord of the Sugar Loaf were founded on the
severest calculation. Having an active mind, and being averse to bodily labour,
he had thoroughly considered what calling would yield him the best livelihood
with the least possible exertion, and in that sort of line he had seen that a
public amongst miners who earned high wages was a fine opening. He had prospered
according to the merits of such judicious calculation, was already a
forty-shilling freeholder, and was conscious of a vote for the county. He was
not one of those mean-spirited men who found the franchise embarrassing, and
would rather have been without it: he regarded his vote as part of his
investment, and meant to make the best of it. He called himself a
straightforward man, and at suitable moments expressed his views freely; in
fact, he was known to have one fundamental division for all opinion - my idee
and humbug.
    When Felix approached, Mr Chubb was standing, as usual, with his hands
nervously busy in his pockets, his eyes glancing round with a detective
expression at the black landscape, and his lipless mouth compressed yet in
constant movement. On a superficial view it might be supposed that so
eager-seeming a personality was unsuited to the publican's business; but in fact
it was a great provocative to drinking. Like the shrill biting talk of a
vixenish wife, it would have compelled you to take a little something by way of
dulling your sensibility.
    Hitherto, notwithstanding Felix drank so little ale, the publican had
treated him with high civility. The coming election was a great opportunity for
applying his political idee, which was, that society existed for the sake of the
individual, and that the name of that individual was Chubb. Now, from a
conjunction of absurd circumstances inconsistent with that idea, it happened
that Sproxton had been hitherto somewhat neglected in the canvass. The head
member of the company that worked the mines was Mr Peter Garstin, and the same
company received the rent for the Sugar Loaf. Hence, as the person who had the
most power of annoying Mr Chubb, and being of detriment to him, Mr Garstin was
naturally the candidate for whom he had reserved his vote. But where there is
this intention of ultimately gratifying a gentleman by voting for him in an open
British manner on the day of the poll, a man, whether publican or pharisee (Mr
Chubb used this