I have heard," he added, "that he is working for the Tory candidate, Vanston, and hope it is not true." "Why," said his mother, "what differ does it make ?" "Why," replied the other, "that Vanston votes to keep us slaves, and Chevydale to give us our political freedom: the one is opposed to our religion and our liberty, and the other votes for both." "Troth, as to religion," observed the mother, "the poor boy doesn't trouble his head much about it--bat it's not aisy for one that goes into jinteel society to do so--an' that's what makes Hycy ait mate of a Friday as fast as on any other day." "I am sorry to hear that, mother," replied Edward; "but Hycy is a very young man still, and will mend all these matters yet." "And that's what I'm tellin' his father," she replied; "and if you'd only see the way he looks at me, and puts a _cuir_ (* a grin--mostly of contempt) upon him so bitther that it would a'most take the skin off one." Edward's observations with respect to Hycy's having taken a part in forwarding the interests of Major Vanston were not without foundation.
He and Bryan M'Mahon had of late been upon very good terms; and it so happened that in the course of one of their conversations about Kathleen Cavanagh, Bryan had mentioned to him the fact of Kathleen's having heard that he was pledged to vote with Vanston, and repeated the determination to which she had resolved to come if he should do so.

Now, it so happened, that a portion of this was already well known to Hycy himself, who, in fact, was the very individual who had assured Major Vanston, and those who canvassed for him, that he himself had secured Bryan.
On hearing now from Bryan that Kathleen had put the issue of their affection upon his political truth and consistency he resolved to avail himself of that circumstance if he could.

On hearing, besides, however, that Harry Clinton had actually sent him (M'Mahon) to Vanston, and on being told, in the course of conversation, that that gentleman asked who had drawn up the memorial, he felt that every circumstance was turning in his favor; for he determined now to saddle Clinton with the odium which, in this treacherous transaction, was most likely to fall upon himself.
It is not our intention here to describe the brutal and disgraceful scenes that occur at an election.

It is enough to say that, after a long, bitter, and tedious struggle, the last day of it arrived.

Bryan M'Mahon, having fully satisfied himself that his landlord had not taken a single step to promote his interests in the matter of the memorial, resolved from the beginning not to vote in his favor, and, of course, not to vote at all.
On the morning of the last day, with the exception of himself alone, a single voter had not been left unpolled; and the position of the two candidates was very peculiar, both having polled exactly the same number of votes, and both being consequently equal.
Bryan, having left home early, was at breakfast about eleven o'clock, in a little recess off the bar of the head-inn, which was divided from one end of the coffee-room by a thin partition of boards, through which anything spoken in an ordinary tone of voice in that portion of the room could be distinctly heard.