he'll go in for making
everything right - Poor-laws and charities and church - he wants to reform 'em
all. Perhaps you'll say, There's that Parson Lingon talking about church reform
- why, he belongs to the church himself - he wants reforming too. Well, well,
wait a bit, and you'll hear by-and-by that old Parson Lingon is reformed -
shoots no more, cracks his joke no more, has drunk his last bottle: the dogs,
the old pointers, will be sorry; but you'll hear that the parson at Little Treby
is a new man. That's what church reform is sure to come to before long. So now
here are some more nuts for you, lads, and I leave you to listen to your
candidate. Here he is - give him a good hurray; wave your hats, and I'll begin.
Hurray!«
    Harold had not been quite confident beforehand as to the good effect of his
uncle's introduction; but he was soon reassured. There was no acrid partisanship
among the old-fashioned Tories who mustered strong about the Marquis of Granby,
and Parson Jack had put them in a good humour. Harold's only interruption came
from his own party. The oratorical clerk at the factory, acting as the tribune
of the dissenting interest, and feeling bound to put questions, might have been
troublesome; but his voice being unpleasantly sharp, while Harold's was full and
penetrating, the questioning was cried down. Harold's speech did: it was not of
the glib-nonsensical sort, not ponderous, not hesitating - which is as much as
to say, that it was remarkable among British speeches. Read in print the next
day, perhaps it would be neither pregnant nor conclusive, which is saying no
more than that its excellence was not of an abnormal kind, but such as is
usually found in the best efforts of eloquent candidates. Accordingly the
applause drowned the opposition, and content predominated.
    But, perhaps, the moment of most diffusive pleasure from public speaking is
that in which the speech ceases and the audience can turn to commenting on it.
The one speech, sometimes uttered under great responsibility as to missiles and
other consequences, has given a text to twenty speakers who are under no
responsibility. Even in the days of duelling a man was not challenged for being
a bore, nor does this quality apparently hinder him from being much invited to
dinner, which is the great index of social responsibility in a less barbarous
age.
    Certainly