The very yellow and very blue bodies of these roistering
small warriors with their hands on their tin swords and their lips
on their tin trumpets, started up in every window and on every wall
confronting each citizen in turn, persuading him that they and they
alone were taking him to Westminster. Nor had they apparently for
the most part much trouble with electors, who, finding uncertainty
distasteful, passionately desired to be assured that the country could
at once be saved by little yellow facts or little blue facts, as the
case might be; who had, no doubt, a dozen other good reasons for being
on the one side or the other; as, for instance, that their father had
been so before them; that their bread was buttered yellow or buttered
blue; that they had been on the other side last time; that they had
thought it over and made up their minds; that they had innocent blue
or naive yellow beer within; that his lordship was the man; or that the
words proper to their mouths were 'Chilcox for Bucklandbury'; and, above
all, the one really creditable reason, that, so far as they could tell
with the best of their intellect and feelings, the truth at the moment
was either blue or yellow.
The narrow high street was thronged with voters. Tall policemen
stationed there had nothing to do. The certainty of all, that they were
going to win, seemed to keep everyone in good humour.
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