ly. If
men were not so anxious and so shocked there might have been some
demonstration of the vehement anger which was felt in so many breasts as
Mr. Sexton brought out the words which put in collocation in the mind of
the unfortunate lunatic the idea of attempting to kill Mr. Gladstone,
and the phrase of Sir Henry James during the debate on the Home Rule
Bill. But feeling was too intense and solemn for outspoken or loud
utterance, and Mr. Sexton was allowed to put his question to the end
without any interruption from the intensely excited and profoundly
thrilled assembly. This is one of the curiosities of Parliamentary and
British nature--that the moments of tensest feeling are so often those
which, to a stranger, would appear listless, indifferent, impassive. Mr.
Asquith spoke in tones suitable to the temper of the assembly. This was
a very grave matter, he said; but it was for the moment before the
courts of law, and his lips were sealed. And so the subject dropped.

[Sidenote: Mr. Gladstone.]

The people were asking themselves what would happen, when Mr. Gladstone
entered the House; but if there had been any desire to mark the
occasion, he himself prevented it. He dropped more quietly into his seat
than usual, and at the moment when, to a thin House, Sir William was
giving one of those gentle and beatific answers to which I have already
alluded. To judge by Mr. Gladstone's quietness of entrance, nothing
unusual had happened to him, and he himself had declined even to talk
about the matter. And yet there was a certain look as of reverie on his
face--as though of a man who had looked into that dark and hideous abyss
called Death. He had not been looking very well for some days, and
perhaps there was not--though imagination saw it--a deadlier pallor than
usual on the face. But it was only when he was sitting on the deserted
bench beside Sir William Harcourt that one had an opportunity of
detecting any difference between his usual appearance and his
appearance at that particular moment. The minute he had any part to take
in the proceedings of the House, he was just as alert, cheerful,
self-composed as ever. This wonderful man is as much a miracle
physically as mentally. The giant intellect is backed by a steady nerve,
the perfect mind by the perfect body. And thus he is able to go through
trials, dangers, fatigues, which would destroy any ordinary man, as
though nothing had occurred. During this week, indeed, he was es