thing jarring and even common in a note of dissent. Whatever the
reason, they remained uncommonly silent throughout the whole speech;
and, sometimes, when one or two of the more ebullient members spoke, the
interjectors got very little change for their pains.

[Sidenote: The readiness of the Old Man.]

And this silence was the more remarkable in one or two of the most
important passages of the Bill, for the Old Man challenged interruption.
Thus he ranged the objections to the Bill under seven separate heads,
and then he proceeded to read out these heads. They were all a perfectly
faithful representation--in some cases even a repetition--of what the
Tories had said; but stated baldly, nakedly, in the cold light of early
day, they sounded intensely ridiculous. It was impossible, for instance,
to take seriously the resounding proposition that the Bill "would break
up the Empire"--that under the Bill the loyal minority would incur loss
of life, liberty and property, and so on. As Mr. Gladstone read out
these propositions there was a deadly chill, a disheartened silence, on
the Tory Benches which had its importance, for it showed plainly that,
however ready they were to mouth these things on platforms they felt a
little ashamed of them in their more sober moments. Just once or twice,
a stray Tory did venture to signify by a timid and faint cheer his
acceptance of the ridiculous litany of prophecy and reprobation which
Mr. Gladstone was repeating to him. And then the Old Man was delightful;
he smiled all over his face until its features were one vast mass of
corrugated wrinkles; then he waved his hand a little to the other side,
and finally congratulated himself on being in the happy position of
being even partially corroborated by gentlemen of opposite opinions,
Whereupon, of course, the whole House laughed, including the very member
whom the Old Man had thus toasted. In short, as will have been seen from
my description, the Old Man was in his very best form, in full command
of himself, of his friends, and even of his enemies.

[Sidenote: A solemn peroration.]

Finally, there came a peroration--lofty, almost inspired--splendidly
delivered, rapturously applauded. It rang out a note of perfect
confidence--of early and complete victory--of righteous trust in a
righteous cause. And the House which had followed the great orator in
rapt attention so long could not tire of cheering this glowing and
inspiring end. For several min