I now began to comprehend the case, which really was much more grave than, at first, I could have believed possible.

Noah himself seemed staggered; for, I believe, he had fallen on the simple and natural expedient of inquiring what he himself would have thought of the conduct of a colleague who had given a vote on a subject so weighty, without exposing a motive.
"Had the captain owned but a foot square of earth, at the end of the causeway," observed the brigadier, mournfully, "the matter might be cleared up; but as things are, it is beyond dispute, a most unfortunate occurrence." "But Sir John voted with me, and he is no more a free-holder in Leaplow, than I am myself." "True; but Sir John voted with the bulk of his political friends." "All the Horizontals were not in the majority; for at least twenty went, on this occasion, with the minority." "Undeniable--yet every monikin of them had a visible motive.

This owned a lot by the wayside; that had houses on the island, and another was the heir of a great proprietor at the same point of the road.

Each and all had their distinct and positive interests at stake, and not one of them was guilty of so great a weakness as to leave his cause to be defended by the extravagant pretension of mere principle!" "My God-like, the greatest of all the Riddles, absented himself, and did not vote at all." "Simply because he had no good ground to justify any course he might take.

No public monikin can expect to escape censure, if he fail to put his friends, in the way of citing some plausible and intelligible motive for his conduct." "How, sir! cannot a man, once in his life, do an act without being bought like a horse or a dog, and escape with an inch of character ?" "I shall not take upon myself to say what MEN can do," returned the brigadier; "no doubt they manage this affair better than it is managed here; but, so far as monikins are concerned, there is no course more certain to involve a total loss of character--I may say so destructive to reputation even for intellect--as to act without a good, apparent, and substantial MOTIVE." "In the name of God, what is to be done, brigadier ?" "I see no other course than to resign.