DISRAELI'S EARLY CAREER. 47 



render his friend all the assistance in his power, to can- 

 vass for him, and endeavour to carry his election. A 

 few days before the election, a party delegation of about 

 twenty-five electors came to Mr. Disraeli's committee- 

 room and stated that they — as representing the extreme 

 Radicals — were so disj^usted at the treatment that their 

 party were receiving from the Whig Government, that, if 

 Mr. Disraeli could get any letters of introduction from 

 their leaders, they would join the Tory party and vote for 

 him; and moved also by his own animosity to the Whig 

 oligarchy, Mr. Disraeli undertook, through some friends 

 of his, to get a letter from both Mr. Daniel O'Connell 

 and Mr. Hume, who wrote and recommended their 

 friends at Wycombe to support his candidature. Now 

 comes a remarkable coincidence. Old Mr. Norris, the 

 then owner of Hughenden Manor, was one of Disraeli's 

 staunchest supporters ; he had known him from boy- 

 hood, his house being only an easy walk from 

 Bradenham, the residence of Mr. Disraeli's father. 

 He had invited Lisraeli to luncheon on the day before 

 the election, and in the meantime Mr. Disraeli's com- 

 mittee had received these two letters from Messrs. 

 Hume and O'Connell, printed and circulated them 

 throughout the borough, and a copy had got into Mr. 

 Norris's hands, which so roused his indignation that 

 he determined to forbid the young candidate the house 

 on his arrival to luncheon. When Mr. Disraeli arrived 

 he met him at the door, refused him admittance, and 

 shut the door in his face. Mr. Disraeli lived to see 

 the day when through that very door he welcomed 

 the Queen of England to visit him as his guest. 



