These horrid men that sat around him,--how he hated them! He could get rid of them now, now and for ever, by acceding to the proposition made to him. And he thought that in doing so he could speak a few words which would be very agreeable to him in the speaking. And then all that Mr. Trigger had said about the L1,500 had been doubtless true. If he defended his seat money must be spent, and he did not know how far he might be able to compel Mr. Griffenbottom to share the expense. He was not so rich but what he was bound to think of the money, for his children's sake. And he did believe Mr. Trigger, when Mr. Trigger told him that the seat could not be saved. Yet he could not bring himself to let these men have their way with him. To have to confess that he had been their tool went so much against the grain with him that anything seemed to him to be preferable to that. The passage across his brain of all these thoughts had not required many seconds, and his guests seemed to acknowledge by their silence that some little space of time should be allowed to him. Mr. Pile was leaning forward on his stick with his eyes fixed upon Sir Thomas's face. Mr. Spicer was amusing himself with a third glass of sherry. Mr. Griffenbottom had assumed a look of absolute indifference, and was sitting with his eyes fixed upon the ceiling. Mr. Trigger, with a pleasant smile on his face, was leaning back in his chair with his hands in his trousers pockets. He had done his disagreeable job of work, and upon the whole he thought that he had done it well. "I shall do nothing of the kind," said Sir Thomas at last. "You'll be wrong, Sir Thomas," said Mr. Trigger. "You'll disfranchise the borough," said Mr. Spicer. "You'll not be able to keep your seat," said Mr. Trigger. "And there'll be all the money to pay," said Mr. Spicer. "Sir Thomas don't mind that," said Mr. Griffenbottom. "As for paying the money, I do mind it very much," said Sir Thomas. "As for disfranchising the borough, I cannot say that I regard it in the least. As to your seat, Mr. Griffenbottom--" "My seat is quite safe," said the senior member. "As to your seat, which I am well aware must be jeopardised if mine be in jeopardy, it would have been matter of more regret to me, had I experienced from you any similar sympathy for myself. As it is, it seems that each of us is to do the best he can for himself, and I shall do the best I can for myself. Good morning." "What then do you mean to do?" said Mr. Trigger. "On that matter I shall prefer to converse with my friends." "You mean," said Mr. Trigger, "that you will put it into other hands." "You have made a proposition to me, Mr. Trigger, and I have given you my answer. I have nothing else to say. What steps I may take I do not even know at present." "You will let us hear from you," said Mr. Trigger. "I cannot say that I will." "This comes of bringing a gentleman learned in the law down into the borough," said Mr. Griffenbottom.