To him, stringent laws against bribery are the strongest assurance of valuable employment.

Were these laws of a nature to be evaded with ease, any indifferent attorney might manage a candidate's affairs and enable him to take his seat with security.
It would have been well for Sir Roger if he had trusted solely to Mr Closerstil; well also for Mr Romer had he never fished in those troubled waters.

In due process of time the hearing of the petition came on, and then who so happy, sitting at his ease at his London Inn, blowing his cloud from a long pipe, with measureless content, as Mr Reddypalm?
Mr Reddypalm was the one great man of the contest.

All depended on Mr Reddypalm; and well he did his duty.
The result of the petition was declared by the committee to be as follows:--that Sir Roger's election was null and void--that the election altogether was null and void--that Sir Roger had, by his agent, been guilty of bribery in obtaining a vote, by the payment of a bill alleged to have been previously refused payment--that Sir Roger himself knew nothing about it;--this is always a matter of course;--but that Sir Roger's agent, Mr Romer, had been wittingly guilty of bribery with reference to the transaction above described.
Poor Sir Roger! Poor Mr Romer.
Poor Mr Romer indeed! His fate was perhaps as sad as well might be, and as foul a blot to the purism of these very pure times in which we live.

Not long after those days, it so happening that some considerable amount of youthful energy and quidnunc ability were required to set litigation afloat at Hong-Kong, Mr Romer was sent thither as the fittest man for such work, with rich assurance of future guerdon.