PREMATURE CONCLUSION OF THE TOUR. 249 



25. From this had to be deducted seventy dollars, or 

 14, for the travelling expenses, besides the agent's 

 commission, and certain items of incidental outlay ; so 

 that the week of incessant travelling and hard work 

 resulted in a profit of perhaps some seven pounds. 



With the exception of the second part of " Ant 

 Life " at the St. Botolph Club on the 28th, and the first 

 part of the same lecture at Dartmouth on the 30th, 

 this was the only lecture delivered during the entire 

 month of January ! 



Still the agent continued to make his delusive 

 promises, and still nothing came of them. Even if no 

 other matter of interest were engaging men's minds, 

 the time had long passed by for making lecture arrange- 

 ments. But, moreover, political questions were every- 

 where wholly absorbing the public attention ; every- 

 where lectures, concerts, and even dramatic perform- 

 ances were being set aside in favour of the meetings 

 of the rival parties, while no one could talk or 

 think of any subject which was not in some way con- 

 nected with electioneering. And so, when the first day 

 of February dawned, and still no lectures were pending, 

 my father accepted the inevitable, secured a berth on 

 board the Canard steamship Cepttalonia, which had 

 brought him over to America on the occasion of his 

 first visit, and which was now advertised to sail for 

 England on the 7th of the month, telegraphed to us to 

 expect him at home on the day after the vessel reached 

 Liverpool, and made all his preparations for embarking 

 in less than a week's time. 



