There was music as they re-entered the drawing-room. Sir
Vavasour attached himself to Egremont.
"It is a great pleasure for me to see you again, Mr Egremont;" said the worthy baronet. "Your father was my earliest and kindest friend. I remember you at Firebrace, a very little boy. Happy to see you again, Sir, in so eminent a position; a legislator—one of our legislators. It gave me a sincere satisfaction to observe your return."
"You are very kind, Sir Vavasour."
"But it is a responsible position," continued the baronet. "Think you they'll stand? A majority. I suppose, they have; but, I conclude, in time; Sir Robert will have it in time? We must not be in a hurry; 'the more haste'—you know the rest. The country is decidedly conservative. All that we want now is a strong government, that will put all things to rights. If the poor king had lived—"
"He would have sent these men to the right-abouts;" said
Egremont, a young politician, proud of his secret
intelligence.
"Ah! the poor king!" said Sir Vavasour, shaking his head.
"He was entirely with us," said Egremont.
"Poor man" said Sir Vavasour.
"You think it was too late, then?" said his companion.
"You are a young man entering political life," said the
baronet, taking Egremont kindly by the arm, and leading him to
a sofa; "everything depends on the first step. You have a
great opportunity. Nothing can be done by a mere individual. The most powerful body in this country wants a champion."
"But you can depend on Peel?" said Egremont.
"He is one of us: we ought to he able to depend on him. But I
have spoken to him for an hour, and could get nothing out of
him."
"He is cautious; but depend upon it, he will stand or fall by
the land."
"I am not thinking of the land," said Sir Vavasour; "of
something much more important; with all the influence of the
land, and a great deal more besides; of an order of men who
are ready to rally round the throne, and are, indeed, if
justice were done to them, its natural and hereditary
champions (Egremont looked perplexity); I am speaking," added
Sir Vavasour, in a solemn voice, "I am speaking of the
baronets."
"The baronets! And what do they want?"
"Their rights; their long withheld rights. The poor king was
with us. He has frequently expressed to me and other
deputies, his determination to do us justice; but he was not a
strong-minded man," said Sir Vavasour, with a sigh; "and in
these revolutionary and levelling times, he had a hard task
perhaps. And the peers, who are our brethren, they were, I
fear, against us. But in spite of the ministers, and in spite
of the peers, had the poor king lived, we should at least have
had the badge," added Sir Vavasour mournfully.
"The badge!"
"It would have satisfied Sir Grosvenor le Draughte," said Sir
Vavasour; "and he had a strong party with him; he was for
compromise, but d— him, his father was only an accoucheur."
"And you wanted more?" inquired Egremont, with a demure look.
"All, or nothing," said Sir Vavasour; "principle is ever my
motto
—no expediency. I made a speech to the order at the
Clarendon; there were four hundred of us; the feeling was very
strong."
"A powerful party," said Egremont.
"And a military order, sir, if properly understood. What
could stand against us? The Reform Bill could never have
passed if the baronets had been organized."
"I have no doubt you could bring us in now," said Egremont.
"That is exactly what I told Sir Robert. I want him to be
brought in by his own order. It would be a grand thing."
"There is nothing like esprit de corps," said Egremont.
"And such a body!" exclaimed Sir Vavasour, with animation. "Picture us for a moment, to yourself going down in procession to Westminster for example to hold a chapter. Five or six hundred baronets in dark green costume,—the appropriate dress of equites aurati; each not only with his badge, but with his collar of S.S.; belted and scarfed; his star glittering; his pennon flying; his hat white with a plume of white feathers; of course the sword and the gilt spurs. In our hand, the thumb ring and signet not forgotten, we hold our coronet of two balls!"
Egremont stared with irrepressible astonishment at the excited
being, who unconsciously pressed his companion's arm, as he
drew this rapid sketch of the glories so unconstitutionally
withheld from him.