“Are you going down to the house, Egerton?” enquired Mr Berners at Brookes, of a brother M.P., about four o’clock in the early part of the spring of 1839.
“The moment I have sealed this letter; we will walk down together, if you like!” and in a few minutes they left the club.
“Our fellows are in a sort of fright about this Jamaica bill,” said Mr Egerton in an undertone, as if he were afraid a passer-by might overhear him. “Don’t say anything about it, but there’s a screw loose.”
“They say the Rads are going to throw us over.”
“Talk, talk. They have threatened this half-a-dozen times. Smoke, sir; it will end in smoke.”
“I hope it may; but I know, in great confidence mind you, that Lord John was saying something about it yesterday.”
“That may be; I believe our fellows are heartily sick of the business, and perhaps would be glad of an excuse to break up the government: but we must not have Peel in; nothing could prevent a dissolution.”
“Their fellows go about and say that Peel would not dissolve if he came in.”
“He has had enough of dissolutions they say.”
“Why, after all they have not done him much harm. Even --34 was a hit.”
“Whoever dissolves,” said Mr Egerton, “I don’t think there will be much of a majority either way in our time.”
“We have seen strange things,” said Mr Berners.
“They never would think of breaking up the government without making their peers,” said Mr Egerton.
“The Queen is not over partial to making more peers; and when parties are in the present state of equality, the Sovereign is no longer a mere pageant.”
“They say her Majesty is more touched about these affairs of the Chartists than anything else,” said Mr Egerton.
“They are rather queer; but for my part I have no serious fears of a Jacquerie.”
“Not if it comes to an outbreak; but a passive resistance Jacquerie is altogether a different thing. When we see a regular Convention assembled in London and holding its daily meetings in Palace Yard; and a general inclination evinced throughout the country to refrain from the consumption of exciseable articles, I cannot help thinking that affairs are more serious than you imagine. I know the government are all on the ‘qui vive.’”
“Just the fellows we wanted!” exclaimed Lord Fitz-Heron, who was leaning on the arm of Lord Milford, and who met Mr Egerton and his friend in Pall Mall.