"Do you remember Billy Calvert, that came down to contest Kilkenny?" inquired Sir Harry.
"What, ever forget him!" said Considine, "with his well-powdered wig and his hessians. There never was his equal for lace ruffles and rings."
"You never heard, may be, how he lost the election?"
"He resigned, I believe, or something of that sort."
"No, no," said another; "he never came forward at all. There's some secret in it; for Tom Butler was elected without a contest."
"Jack, I'll tell you how it happened. I was on my way up from Cork, having finished my own business, and just carried the day, not without a push for it. When we reached,--Lady Mary was with me,--when we reached Kilkenny, the night before the election, I was not ten minutes in town till Butler heard of it, and sent off express to see me; I was at my dinner when the messenger came, and promised to go over when I'd done. But faith, Tom didn't wait, but came rushing up-stairs himself, and dashed into the room in the greatest hurry.
"'Harry,' says he, 'I'm done for; the corporation of free smiths, that were always above bribery, having voted for myself and my father before, for four pounds ten a man, won't come forward under six guineas and whiskey. Calvert has the money; they know it. The devil a farthing we have; and we've been paying all our fellows that can't read in Hennesy's notes, and you know the bank's broke this three weeks.'
"On he went, giving me a most disastrous picture of his cause, and concluded by asking if I could suggest anything under the circumstances.
"'You couldn't get a decent mob and clear the poll?'
"'I am afraid not,' said he, despondingly.
"'Then I don't see what's to be done, if you can't pick a fight with himself. Will he go out?'
"'Lord knows! They say he's so afraid of that, that it has prevented him coming down till the very day. But he is arrived now; he came in the evening, and is stopping at Walsh's in Patrick Street.'
"'Then I'll see what can be done,' said I.
"'Is that Calvert, the little man that blushes when the Lady-Lieutenant speaks to him?' said Lady Mary.
"'Would it be of any use to you if he could not come on the hustings to-morrow?' said she, again.
"''Twould gain us the day. Half the voters don't believe he's here at all, and his chief agent cheated all the people on the last election; and if Calvert didn't appear, he wouldn't have ten votes to register. But why do you ask?'