And their Member was just as bad! Captain Charnock Poynsett,
instead of subscribing, as part of his duty to his constituents, had
replied by sending his brother Raymond's half-finished letter to the
club, with an equally strong and resolute one of his own, and had
published both in all the local papers.
Great was the fury and indignation of Wil'sbro', Backsworth, and all
the squires around. Of course it was a delirious fancy of poor
Raymond Poynsett, and Miles had been worked upon by his puritanical
wife and ritualistic brother to publish it. Newspapers teemed with
abuse of superstition and pharisaism, and praise of this wholesome,
moral, and 'truly English' sport. Gentlemen, and ladies too, took
the remonstrance as a personal offence, and threatened to visit no
more at Compton; the electors bade him look to his seat, and held
meetings to invite 'Mr. Simmonds Proudfoot,' as he now called
himself, to represent them; and the last week, before the races, the
roughs mobbed him in Water Lane. He rode quietly through them, with
his sailor face set as if against a storm, but when he was out of
the place, he stopped his horse at Herbert Bowater's lodgings, that
his black eye might be washed, and the streams of rotten egg removed
from his coat before he presented himself at home.
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