My father was
twenty-four and still at Oxford when he inherited. Almost his
first act was to reverse my grandfather's early move by going
north and piecing together the family friendship. He married
his first cousin; and then, with the Chilcote prestige revived
and the shipping money to back it, he entered on his ambition,
which was to represent East Wark in the Conservative interest.
It was a big fight, but he won
--as much by personal influence as by any other. He was an
aristocrat, but he was a keen business-man as well. The
combination carries weight with your lower classes. He never
did much in the House, but he was a power to his party in
Wark. They still use his name there to conjure with."
Loder leaned forward interestedly.
"Robert Chilcote?" he said. "I have heard of him. One of
those fine, unostentatious figures--strong in action, a little
narrow in outlook, perhaps, but essential to a country's
staying power. You have every reason to be proud of your
father."
Chilcote laughed suddenly.
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