TO STAND, OR NOT TO STAND Sir Gregory Hardlines had been somewhat startled by Alaric's announcement of his parliamentary intentions.

It not unnaturally occurred to that great man that should Mr.Tudor succeed at Strathbogy, and should he also succeed in being allowed to hold his office and seat together, he, Tudor, would very soon become first fiddle at the Civil Service Examination Board.

This was a view of the matter which was by no means agreeable to Sir Gregory.

Not for this had he devoted his time, his energy, and the best powers of his mind to the office of which he was at present the chief; not for this had he taken by the hand a young clerk, and brought him forward, and pushed him up, and seated him in high places.

To have kept Mr.Jobbles would have been better than this; he, at any rate, would not have aspired to parliamentary honours.
And when Sir Gregory came to look into it, he hardly knew whether those bugbears with which he had tried to frighten Tudor were good serviceable bugbears, such as would stand the strain of such a man's logic and reason.