courtesy as in its
reserve of gigantic strength. With the deadly pallor of his face more
remarkable than ever--the white hair shining out, as it were, with the
peaceful suggestion of calm and strong old age--in a voice, low, soft,
gentle--Mr. Gladstone uttered a few words which revealed all the great
depths. In completely quiet, almost inaudible tones, he uttered these
pregnant words: "As to other passages in the noble lord's speech, I do
not know whether he intended to intimidate me; but if he did, I do not
think he will succeed." There they are--these few words--so simple,
plain, even commonplace; but what a history--what a character--what a
grandeur there is behind and beneath them! So splendid are they that
even Lord Randolph is touched to the quick, and he rises to explain. The
Old Man--suave, calm, unutterably courteous--hears him politely; and
then puts the whole case of the Government in a few, dignified, and
tranquil words.

[Sidenote: In the depths.]

But the House, exalted to a higher plane of feeling by this great little
speech, was soon dragged down again to the arena of chaos let loose;
and, of course, Mr. Chamberlain was the person to lead the way to the
dusty pit. Mr. Mellor had very properly attempted to stop the disorderly
discussion of the closure; but Mr. Chamberlain was not in the mood to
respect the authority of the chair or the traditions of the House of
Commons, and audaciously, shamelessly--with a perky self-satisfaction
painful to witness--he proceeded to violate the ruling of the chair--to
trample on the order of Parliament, and to flout the Chairman. And then
the waters of the great deep were loosed. A hurricane of shouts, yells,
protests arose. Member got up after member--here, there,
everywhere--always excepting the sternly silent Irish Bench, where sate
the Irish leaders. A half-dozen men were on their feet--all shouting,
gesticulating, speaking at the same time. In short, it was utterly
unlike anything ever seen before in the House of Commons; it brought
vividly back to the mind the tumultuous French Convention in the days of
the French Revolution.

[Sidenote: Deeper and deeper still.]

It was almost a welcome break in this passionate and scarcely civilized
din that a personal encounter between Mr. Chamberlain and Mr. Byles for
a moment interrupted the tempest. Mr. Chamberlain, in his
characteristically genial way, had spoken of the Irish members as having
been "squared." The Irish