Dr. Harford of course intended to vote for Mr. Cornbury, but he would not join loudly in condemnation of Mr. Tappitt. Tappitt had stood stanchly by him in all parochial contests regarding the new district. Tappitt opposed the Prong faction at all points. Tappitt as churchwarden had been submissive to the doctor. Church of England principles had always been held at the brewery, and Bungall had been ever in favour with Dr. Harford's predecessor. "He calls himself a Liberal, and always has done," said the doctor. "You can't expect that he should desert his own party." "But a Jew!" said old Mr. Comfort. "Well; why not a Jew?" said the doctor. Whereupon Mr. Comfort, and Butler Cornbury, and Dr. Harford's own curate, young Mr. Calclough, and Captain Byng, an old bachelor, who lived in Baslehurst, all stared at him; as Dr. Harford had intended that they should. "Upon my word," said he, "I don't see the use for caring for that kind of thing any longer; I don't indeed. In the way we are going on now, and for the sort of thing we do, I don't see why Jews shouldn't serve us as well in Parliament as Christians. If I am to have my brains knocked out, I'd sooner have it done by a declared enemy than by one who calls himself my friend." "But our brains are not knocked out yet," said Butler Cornbury. "I don't know anything about yours, but mine are." "I don't think the world's coming to an end yet," said the captain. "Nor do I. I said nothing about the world coming to an end. But if you saw a part of your ship put under the command of a landlubber, who didn't know one side of the vessel from the other, you'd think the world had better come to an end than be carried on in that way." "It's not the same thing, you know," said the captain. "You couldn't divide a ship." "Oh, well; you'll see." "I don't think any Christian should vote for a Jew," said the curate. "A verdict has gone out against them, and what is man that he should reverse it?" "Are you quite sure that you are reversing it by putting them into Parliament?" said Dr. Harford. "May not that be a carrying on of the curse?" "There's consolation in that idea for Butler if he loses his election," said Mr. Comfort. "Parliament isn't what it was," said the doctor. "There's no doubt about that." "And who is to blame?" said Mr. Comfort, who had never supported the Reform Bill as his neighbour had done. "I say nothing about blame. It's natural that things should get worse as they grow older." "Dr. Harford thinks Parliament is worn out," said Butler Cornbury. "And what if I do think so? Have not other things as great fallen and gone into decay? Did not the Roman senate wear out, as you call it? And as for these Jews, of whom you are speaking, what was the curse upon them but the wearing out of their grace and wisdom? I am inclined to think that we are wearing out; only I wish the garment could have lasted my time without showing so many thin places."