"No: certainly not!"
"Well, but I received one."
"And so did I!—and I!—and I!" cried the rest.
"But not from me. Have you one of them with you?"
Their hands were in their pockets in an instant, but they found that not one of the notes had been brought.
"And have you been waiting all this time for dinner?"
"Of course."
"And I have been waiting for you to go! It's a hoax! But come along: we'll soon make it all right."
"Stop a minute," said one, "for I'm ready to drop!" And seizing a chicken, he had a "cut in." The rest followed his example, for their appetites were keen; and when they had managed to pick all the bones, which they did in the space of three minutes, Sylvester took them to the nearest hotel, and ordered the best dinner that could be served up at eight.
The "hoax," as they all now conceived it to be, was a source of much merriment during the evening. It gave a zest to the dinner, a zest to the wine, and a zest to every joke that was uttered. They enjoyed themselves exceedingly—infinitely more than they could otherwise have done; and, on leaving, they all pronounced it to be the merriest evening they had ever spent.
It was about twelve when Sylvester returned to his lodgings, and in ten minutes after his return he was in bed and asleep. He had not, however, been asleep long, when—his imagination being somewhat heated by wine—he commenced dreaming; and as this led to results which will be anon explained, it will be as well for the dream itself to be at once related.
In the first place, then, he imagined himself a candidate for the representation of his native county. A requisition, signed by all the freeholders in the county save one, had been forwarded to him, and as he had therefore consented to stand, the whole of the scenes which are held to be inseparable from a contested election, then passed in review before him. The formation of the committee—the preliminary meetings—the nomination—the election—the declaration—the chairing—and the ball, followed each other in rapid succession. He was returned, of course: for there was only one man who voted against him, and that was the other candidate, whom he challenged in consequence: fought, with two pieces of ordnance carrying twenty-four pounders, and wounded in the ear; and having accomplished all this, came to town, where he then was engaged in the preparation of various highly important bills, which he intended to submit to the house without delay.
Having arrived at this interesting point, he imagined that that was the very day on which his presence in the house was expected, and as it soon came down to the hour at which two honourable members would be waiting to introduce him, he rose, and having dressed with care, walked down to the House, with one of his "bills"—which was, in reality, a "Treatise on the Ear"—under his arm.
This was about half-past twelve; for the whole of the dream had
