At length the day dawned which was to
decide their fate. Cowfold was the polling station for a large
district, and both sides fully recognised its importance. The
Democratic colour was orange, and the Tory was purple. Everybody
wore rosettes, and bands of music went about the town, carrying flags
and banners, which had such an effect upon the Cowfold population,
more particularly upon that portion of it which knew nothing whatever
of the questions at issue, that the mere sound of the instruments or
sight of a bit of bunting tied to a pole was sufficient to enable
them to dare a broken head, or even death. Beer may have been partly
the cause of this peculiar mental condition, but not entirely, for
sober persons felt the contagion. We may laugh at it if we please,
and no doubt it is evidence of the weakness of human nature; but,
like much more evidence of the same order, it is double-voiced, and
testifies also to our strength.
Priscilla was staying that night with her mother. Mr. Broad's house,
at the end of the town, was very quiet, and George did not care to
leave her alone with the servant. Those were the days when the state
of the poll was published every hour, and as Cowfold lay near the
centre of the county a very fair opinion could be formed of the
progress of the voting.
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