Saturday, October 23, 2010

08Aug1873, I Shall Have Him With Me

LONDON, Friday, August 8th, 1873.
—My Fred back from Holker at 6 a.m. this morning. If he takes the office, he vacates his seat; it was therefore to be kept back for a time, to get Registration matters, etc., forward, and to consult influential constituents. But by some unaccountable blundering the cat came out of the bag in the paper this morning, and he is in for it. It will be a horrid business if he has a contest, Greenwich and East Staffordshire having just been won by the Tories owing to the split caused by the precious League. But we hope better of the stout old Riding, and, if it only shows a firm front, the Tories won't be mad enough to contest it. Poor F., however, has to post off again at 3 to Bradford.
I saw Uncle W. at his window when we got home; he called me in and was delightful about F., calling him "such a compound of gallantry and good sense" and saying "I shall have him with me" with great pleasure and affection.

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