"Sir," exclaimed that functionary, in a low tone, with amazement--"the bribery oath--! To Dr. Tatham? Are you in earnest?"
"Do your duty, sir!" replied Mudflint, in a bitter, insulting tone.
"I regret to inform you, sir, that I am required to administer the bribery oath to you," said the returning officer to Dr. Tatham, bowing very low.
"What? What? The bribery oath? To _me_?" inquired Dr. Tatham, giving a sudden start, and flushing violently: at which stringent evidence of his guilt--
"Aha!" cried those of the crowd nearest to him--"Come, old gentleman! Thou mun bolt it now!"
"Is it pretended to be believed," faltered Dr. Tatham, with visible emotion--"that _I am bribed_?" But at that moment his eye happened to light upon the exulting countenance of "the Reverend" Mr. Mudflint. It calmed him. Removing his hat, he took the Testament into his hand, while the crowd ceased hooting for a moment, in order to hear the oath read; and with dignity he endured the indignity. He then recorded his vote for Mr. Delamere; and after fixing a sorrowful and surprised eye on Mr. Gammon, who stood with his hat slouched a good deal over his face, and looking in another direction, withdrew; and as he turned his mild and venerable face towards the crowd, the hissing subsided. Shortly afterwards made their appearance amid great uproar, several of the tenantry of Mr. Titmouse--all of them looking as if they had come up, poor souls! rather to receive punishment for a crime, than to exercise their elective franchise in a free country!--Gammon colored a little; took out his pocket-book and pencil; and fixing on the first of the tenantry, Mark Hackett, the eye, as it were, of a suddenly revived serpent, wrote down his name in silence--but what an expression was on his face! Thus he acted towards every one of those unhappy and doomed persons; replacing his pocket-book whence he had taken it, as soon as the last of the little body had polled. It was now a quarter to three o'clock, (the poll closing finally at _four_,) and thus stood the numbers:--