select Back-Parlour Coterie, who all hung together like a knot of onions; and a brotherly band of Irish Members who were bound to do their very best for the Irish priests upon all occasions—and so on. When his melancholy explanations were over, I could not but reflect with humiliation upon the numerical weakness of the Independent Members, of whom I was one.
I had, as was to have expected, felt the influence of my new dignity upon my social position. Invitations poured in thickly. Many persons of great distinction in the country, who had, to all appearances, been wholly unaware of the joint existence of myself and my beloved Flora during our protracted residence at Marigold Lodge, seemed now most anxious to make our acquaintance. We were literally assailed with social importunities both from the Tarboy and Merryton party. Overtures were made to me to know if I was willing to put myself under the political leadership of Mr. Towzer, as that eminent orator had conceived the idea of organising the Independent Members into a firm and compact body; for unless this were done, as he conceived, they could never make their importance duly felt. Somehow or other it seemed to me that Mr. T. had a knack of quarreling with everybody, and as I had no desire to waste my Parliamentary life in a series of brawls, I respectfully, but firmly, declined his obliging offer. My friend, P. Poldadek, would occasionally take a stroll with me in Hyde Park, and gnash his teeth at everybody—more especially at the minions of a corrupt Court—and the horrible hangers-on of the Treasury Bench. But it seemed to me that somebody must be there, and I felt by no means convinced that if P. P. and his friends ever got there that they would be much better than their neighbours.
See p. 474.
