“Nothin’ at all, Sir,” replied his attendant. “The night afore the last day o’ the last election here, the opposite party bribed the barmaid at the Town Arms, to hocus the brandy-and-water of fourteen unpolled electors as was a-stoppin’ in the house.”

“What do you mean by ‘hocussing’ brandy-and-water?” inquired Mr. Pickwick.

“Puttin’ laud’num in it,” replied Sam. “Blessed if she didn’t send ’em all to sleep till twelve hours arter the election was over. They took one man up to the booth, in a truck, fast asleep, by way of experiment, but it was no go⁠—they wouldn’t poll him; so they brought him back, and put him to bed again.”

“Strange practices, these,” said Mr. Pickwick; half speaking to himself and half addressing Sam.