ry
well worth looking at, with his long coat, his silk hat, and the white
Malmaison in his buttonhole. He is always so radiantly, fascinatingly
clean, the Honourable Arthur, simple, frank, direct, sensible, and he
bores me almost to tears.

The first orator was edifying his hearers with an explanation of the
drama of The Corsican Brothers, and his eloquence, unlike that of the
other speakers, was largely inspired by the hope of pennies. It was a
novel idea, and his interpretation was rendered very amusing to us
by the wholly original Yorkshire accent which he gave to the French
personages and places in the play.

An Irishman in black clerical garb held the next group together. He was
in some trouble, owing to a pig-headed and quarrelsome Scotchman in the
front rank, who objected to each statement that fell from his lips, thus
interfering seriously with the effect of his peroration. If the Irishman
had been more convincing, I suppose the crowd would have silenced the
scoffer, for these little matters of discipline are always attended to
by the audience; but the Scotchman's points were too well taken; he
was so trenchant, in fact, at times, that a voice would cry, 'Coom up,
Sandy, an' 'ave it all your own w'y, boy!' The discussion continued
as long as we were within hearing distance, for the Irishman, though
amiable and ignorant, was firm, the 'unconquered Scot' was on his native
heath of argument, and the listeners were willing to give them both a
hearing.

Under the next tree a fluent Cockney lad of sixteen or eighteen years
was declaiming his bitter experiences with the Salvation Army. He had
been sheltered in one of its beds which was not to his taste, and it had
found employment for him which he had to walk twenty-two miles to get,
and which was not to his liking when he did get it. A meeting of
the Salvation Army at a little distance rendered his speech more
interesting, as its points were repeated and denied as fast as made.

Of course there were religious groups and temperance groups, and groups
devoted to the tearing down or raising up of most things except the
Government; for on that day there were no Anarchist or Socialist
shouters, as is ordinarily the case.

As we strolled down one of the broad roads under the shade of the noble
trees, we saw the sun setting in a red-gold haze; a glory of vivid
colour made indescribably tender and opalescent by the kind of luminous
mist that veils it; a wholly English s