of my friend’s near kinsman, Lord Snigsworth. And suppose I said to that venerable earl, ‘My Lord, I am here before your lordship, presented by your lordship’s near kinsman, my friend upon my left, to indicate that programme’; what would his lordship answer? Why, he would answer, ‘Away with it!’ That’s what he would answer, gentlemen. ‘Away with it!’ Unconsciously using, in his exalted sphere, the exact language of the worthy and intelligent tradesman of our town, the near and dear kinsman of my friend upon my left would answer in his wrath, ‘Away with it!’ ”
Veneering finishes with this last success, and Mr. Podsnap telegraphs to Mrs. Veneering, “He’s down.”
Then, dinner is had at the hotel with the legal gentleman, and then there are in due succession, nomination, and declaration. Finally Mr. Podsnap telegraphs to Mrs. Veneering, “We have brought him in.”
Another gorgeous dinner awaits them on their return to the Veneering halls, and Lady Tippins awaits them, and Boots and Brewer await them. There is a modest assertion on everybody’s part that everybody single-handed “brought him in”; but in the main it is conceded by all, that that stroke of business on Brewer’s part, in going down to the house that night to see how things looked, was the masterstroke.
A touching little incident is related by Mrs. Veneering, in the course of the evening. Mrs. Veneering is habitually disposed to be tearful, and has an extra disposition that way after her late excitement. Previous to withdrawing from the dinner-table with Lady Tippins, she says, in a pathetic and physically weak manner:
“You will all think it foolish of me, I know, but I must mention it. As I sat by Baby’s crib, on the night before the election, Baby was very uneasy in her sleep.”