the other - the Duffield end of the town. He
urged several of the men round him, one of whom was no less a person than the
big Dredge, our old Sproxton acquaintance, to get forward, and be sure that all
the fellows would go down the lane, else they would spoil sport. Hitherto Felix
had been successful, and he had gone along with an unbroken impulse. But soon
something occurred which brought with a terrible shock the sense that his plan
might turn out to be as mad as all bold projects are seen to be when they have
failed.
    Mingled with the more headlong and half-drunken crowd there were some
sharp-visaged men who loved the irrationality of riots for something else than
its own sake, and who at present were not so much the richer as they desired to
be, for the pains they had taken in coming to the Treby election, induced by
certain prognostics gathered at Duffield on the nomination-day that there might
be the conditions favourable to that confusion which was always a harvest-time.
It was known to some of these sharp men that Park Street led out towards the
grand house of Treby Manor, which was as good - nay, better for their purpose
than the bank. While Felix was entertaining his ardent purpose, these other sons
of Adam were entertaining another ardent purpose of their peculiar sort, and the
moment was come when they were to have their triumph.
    From the front ranks backward towards Felix there ran a new summons - a new
invitation.
    »Let us go to Treby Manor!«
    From that moment Felix was powerless; a new definite suggestion overrode his
vaguer influence. There was a determined rush past Hobb's Lane, and not down it.
Felix was carried along too. He did not know whether to wish the contrary. Once
on the road, out of the town, with openings into fields and with the wide park
at hand, it would have been easy for him to liberate himself from the crowd. At
first it seemed to him the better part to do this, and to get back to the town
as fast as he could, in the hope of finding the military and getting a
detachment to come and save the Manor. But he reflected that the course of the
mob had been sufficiently seen, and that there were plenty of people in Park
Street to carry the information faster than he could. It seemed more necessary
that he should secure the presence of some help for the family at the Manor by
going there himself. The Debarrys were not of the class he was wont to be
anxious about;