"
The two fell into an excited discussion of the situation. The two rival
heroes of the electoral six weeks on the Liberal side had been, of
course, Ferrier and Lord Philip. Lord Philip had conducted an
astonishing campaign in the Midlands, through a series of speeches of
almost revolutionary violence, containing many veiled, or scarcely
veiled, attacks on Ferrier. Ferrier, on the whole held the North; but
the candidates in the Midlands had been greatly affected by Lord Philip
and Lord Philip's speeches, and a contagious enthusiasm had spread
through whole districts, carrying in the Liberal candidates with a rush.
In the West and South, too, where the Darcy family had many friends and
large estates, the Liberal nominees had shown a strong tendency to adopt
Lord Philip's programme and profess enthusiastic admiration for its
author. So that there were now two kings of Brentford. Lord Philip's
fortunes had risen to a threatening height, and the whole interest of
the Cabinet-making just beginning lay in the contest which it inevitably
implied between Ferrier and his new but formidable lieutenant. It was
said that Lord Philip had retired to his tent--alias, his
Northamptonshire house--and did not mean to budge thence till he had
got all he wanted out of the veteran Premier.
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