ght
of self lost in one over-mastering excitement!

An old man with a long grey beard, standing close to his elbow, murmured:

"'Tis anxious work--I wouldn't ha' missed this for anything in the
world."

"Fine, eh?" answered Courtier.

"Aye," said the old man, "'tis fine. I've not seen the like o' this
since the great year--forty-eight. There they are--the aristocrats!"

Following the direction of that skinny hand Courtier saw on a balcony
Lord and Lady Valleys, side by side, looking steadily down at the crowd.
There too, leaning against a window and talking to someone behind, was
Barbara. The old man went on muttering, and Courtier could see that his
eyes had grown very bright, his whole face transfigured by intense
hostility; he felt drawn to this old creature, thus moved to the very
soul. Then he saw Barbara looking down at him, with her hand raised to
her temple to show that she saw his bandaged head. He had the presence
of mind not to lift his hat.

The old man spoke again.

"You wouldn't remember forty-eight, I suppose. There was a feeling in
the people then--we would ha' died for things in those days. I'm
eighty-four," and he held his shaking hand up to his breast, "but the
spirit's alive here yet! God send the Radical gets in!" There was
wafted from him a scent as of potatoes.

Far behind, at the very edge of the vast dark throng, some voices began
singing: "Way down upon the Swanee ribber." The tune floated forth,
ceased, spurted up once more, and died.

Then, in the very centre of the square a stentorian baritone roared
forth: "Should auld acquaintance be forgot!"

The song swelled, till every kind of voice, from treble to the old
Chartist's quavering bass, was chanting it; here and there the crowd
heaved with the movement of linked arms. Courtier found the soft fingers
of a young woman in his right hand, the old Chartist's dry trembling paw
in his left. He himself sang loudly. The grave and fearful music sprang
straight up into they air, rolled out right and left, and was lost among
the hills. But it had no sooner died away than the same huge baritone
yelled "God save our gracious King!" The stature of the crowd seemed at
once to leap up two feet, and from under that platform of raised hats
rose a stupendous shouting.

"This," thought Courtier, "is religion!"

They were singing even on the balconies; by the lamplight he could see
Lord Valleys mouth not opened quite enough, as thou