The double shock Ella had suffered from the death of her uncle, and the interview for which she was so unprepared with Ernest, threw her back, and for many weeks not only suspended all improvement in her health, but tended materially to its detriment. In this interval, Mrs. Ormond had leisure to school herself into greater tolerance of the malencontreux Will. To like it was impossible; but she had too much sense to persist in fretting at an irremediable evil; and by way of dissipating her chagrin, she devoted much time and thought to the most favourable means of getting / Ernest elected a member of the legislature. Some such promotion she deemed indispensable to his success in society; for as a mere private individual, enriched by the caprice of an old man to whom he bore not the remotest affinity – decorated by no title – distinguished by no military achievements – holding no rank as a diplomatist – unknown at the bar, and even in the world of letters – it was impossible to introduce him, with credit to herself, in her own circle. She gravely consulted Mr. Fitzmaurice on the subject, who far from answering her with corresponding gravity, treated the whole business as a jest.

‘It is unlucky,’ said he, ‘that this project of yours should be rendered somewhat less practicable than might be wished, by the late barbarous suppression of so many rotten boroughs. They were commodious things; and in this case, for instance, would have been inappreciable. What other method remains of getting Ernest made M.P. I do not immediately perceive. But have patience, dear madam, perhaps some ten years hence, he may find constituents amongst those who are now to become his tenants; and if he behaves well, that is, spends his money freely amongst the / tradesmen at Ludlow, and above all, pays his bills without complaining of imposition, who knows whether they also will not become his friends, and lend him their “most sweet voices”?’