But all this was now at an end.

He told himself that he did not care how the elections might go;--that he did not care much how anything might go.

Silverbridge might stand for Silverbridge if he so pleased.

He would give neither assistance nor obstruction, either in the county or in the borough.

He wrote to this effect to his agent, Mr.Morton;--but at the same time desired that gentleman to pay Lord Silverbridge's electioneering expenses, feeling it to be his duty as a father to do so much for his son.
But though he endeavoured to engage his thoughts in these parliamentary matters, though he tried to make himself believe that this political apostasy was the trouble which vexed him, in truth that other misery was so crushing, as to make the affairs of his son insignificant.