Phineas Finn by Anthony Trollope

Finn is the only son of a successful Irish doctor who sends him to London to become a lawyer. His academic achievements were modest, but he made many influential friends. One of them, a politician, Barrington Erle, suggests that he stand for Parliament in the coming election. At first, the idea seems absurd. Finn is supported solely by a modest allowance from his father, but a stroke of luck clears his path.