Phineas Finn | Page 5

to whom
had come such a fate. He was able to name to himself a man or two
whose barks, carrying more sail than they could bear, had gone to
pieces among early breakers in this way. But then, would it not be
better to go to pieces early than never to carry any sail at all? And there
was, at any rate, the chance of success. He was already a barrister, and
there were so many things open to a barrister with a seat in Parliament!
And as he knew of men who had been utterly ruined by such early
mounting, so also did he know of others whose fortunes had been made

by happy audacity when they were young. He almost thought that he
could die happy if he had once taken his seat in Parliament,--if he had
received one letter with those grand initials written after his name on
the address. Young men in battle are called upon to lead forlorn hopes.
Three fall, perhaps, to one who gets through; but the one who gets
through will have the Victoria Cross to carry for the rest of his life.
This was his forlorn hope; and as he had been invited to undertake the
work, he would not turn from the danger. On the following morning he
again saw Barrington Erle by appointment, and then wrote the
following letter to his father:--
Reform Club, Feb., 186--.
MY DEAR FATHER,
I am afraid that the purport of this letter will startle you, but I hope that
when you have finished it you will think that I am right in my decision
as to what I am going to do. You are no doubt aware that the
dissolution of Parliament will take place at once, and that we shall be in
all the turmoil of a general election by the middle of March. I have
been invited to stand for Loughshane, and have consented. The
proposition has been made to me by my friend Barrington Erle, Mr.
Mildmay's private secretary, and has been made on behalf of the
Political Committee of the Reform Club. I need hardly say that I should
not have thought of such a thing with a less thorough promise of
support than this gives me, nor should I think of it now had I not been
assured that none of the expense of the election would fall upon me. Of
course I could not have asked you to pay for it.
But to such a proposition, so made, I have felt that it would be
cowardly to give a refusal. I cannot but regard such a selection as a
great honour. I own that I am fond of politics, and have taken great
delight in their study --("Stupid young fool!" his father said to himself
as he read this)--and it has been my dream for years past to have a seat
in Parliament at some future time. ("Dream! yes; I wonder whether he
has ever dreamed what he is to live upon.") The chance has now come
to me much earlier than I have looked for it, but I do not think that it
should on that account be thrown away. Looking to my profession, I

find that many things are open to a barrister with a seat in Parliament,
and that the House need not interfere much with a man's practice. ("Not
if he has got to the top of his tree," said the doctor.)
My chief doubt arose from the fact of your old friendship with Lord
Tulla, whose brother has filled the seat for I don't know how many
years. But it seems that George Morris must go; or, at least, that he
must be opposed by a Liberal candidate. If I do not stand, some one
else will, and I should think that Lord Tulla will be too much of a man
to make any personal quarrel on such a subject. If he is to lose the
borough, why should not I have it as well as another?
I can fancy, my dear father, all that you will say as to my imprudence,
and I quite confess that I have not a word to answer. I have told myself
more than once, since last night, that I shall probably ruin myself. ("I
wonder whether he has ever told himself that he will probably ruin me
also," said the doctor.) But I am prepared to ruin myself in such a cause.
I have no one dependent on me; and, as long as I do nothing to disgrace
my name, I may dispose of myself as I please. If you decide on
stopping my allowance, I shall have no feeling of anger against you.
("How very considerate!" said the doctor.) And in that case I shall