Passage Illustrated: Oughterard's Home Rule Faction Convene at Nelligan's Bedside

“There's Scanlan just driving round the corner,” said Magennis, in a whisper; and Massingbred arose at once and drew nigh to the bedside.

“Could I say one word to you alone, Mr. Nelligan?” said he, in a low voice.

“Of course,” said he. And whispering the priest to take the others into an adjoining room, old Nelligan motioned Jack to sit down beside him.

“You said, as I came in,” said Jack, “that you were satisfied with my explanation —”

“To be sure I was,” broke in Dan. “All I wanted to know was, that you acted under a misconception. That being once explained, there was no offence on either side. Now, Catty Henderson's letter to my wife put the thing straight at once; she showed that your conduct at Cro' Martin arose out of a notion that Joe had slighted you.” [Chapter XX, "An Election Address," 219]

Commentary: Jack Massingbred — The People's Choice for the Borough MP

Just as Jack thinks that he has the Martin's endorsement as candidate for the Borough of Oughterard, the post-master (Hosey Lynch) notices a letter from young Captain Harry Martin (stationed in India) post-marked South Africa, and rightly concludes that Harry is returning to Ireland and has resigned his commission in the Dragoons to claim the parliamentary seat. Scanlan, the young attorney and election-fixer, hastes after Jack and Repton as they are driving into town to meet with the Radical faction. Mr. Martin has instructed him to retrieve Jack.

Too late! Magennis has encountered Jack on the road, and taken him on a pedestrian shortcut. Thus, Jack arrives in town well ahead of the attorney, despite the rapidity of his tandem, and has time for a brief conference with the Radicals' money-man (still in bed), the local priest (seated beside the bed), the head of the Priory, Peter Haynes, and Daniel O'Connell's local adherent, Tom Magennis. No matter whether the Martins withdraw their support for Jack's candidacy, with the newly-enfranchised Irish electors led by Father Neal on his side, his victory is assured. Now that the Martins' governess, Kate Henderson, has written to explain to Joe Nelligan's father, the wealthy merchant, the cause of the misunderstanding between his son and Jack, the Anglo-Irish candidate will have adequate campaign funds.

Bibliography

Buchanan-Brown, John. Phiz! Illustrator of Dickens' World. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1978.

Lester, Valerie Browne Lester. Chapter 11: "'Give Me Back the Freshness of the Morning!'" Phiz! The Man Who Drew Dickens. London: Chatto and Windus, 2004. Pp. 108-127.

Lever, Charles. The Martins of Cro' Martin. With 39 illustrations and engraved title-vignette by Phiz. London: Chapman & Hall, 1856, rpt. London & New York: Routledge, 1873, in 2 vols.

Lever, Charles. The Martins of Cro' Martin. Illustrated by Phiz [Hablot Knight Browne]. Novels and Romances of Charles Lever. Introduction by Andrew Lang. Lorrequer Edition. Vols. XII and XIII. In two volumes. Boston: Little, Brown, 1907.

Steig, Michael. Chapter VII, "Phiz the Illustrator: An Overview and Summing Up." Dickens and Phiz. Bloomington & London: Indiana U. P., 1978. Pp. 299-316.

Stevenson, Lionel. Chapter XII, "Aspirant for Preferment, 1854-1856." Dr. Quicksilver: The Life of Charles Lever. New York: Russell and Russell, 1939; rpt. 1969. Pp. 203-220.

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Created 21 September 2022