Of course, that's absurd--that will never do--we can
never accept that--is there any harm in this?" Too many concessions made on
the spur of the (M179) moment to the unionists stirred resentment in the
nationalists, and once or twice they exploded. These rapid splendours of
his had their perils. I pointed out to him the pretty obvious drawbacks of
settling delicate questions as we went along with no chance of sounding
the Irishmen, and asked him to spare me quarter of an hour before
luncheon, when the draftsman and I, having threshed out the amendments of
the day, could put the bare points for his consideration. He was horrified
at the very thought. "Out of the question. Do you want to kill me? I must
have the whole of the morning for general government business. Don't ask
me."(303)

Obstruction was freely practised and without remorse. The chief fighting
debater against the government made a long second-reading speech, on the
motion that the clause stand part of the bill. A little before eight
o'clock when the fighting debater was winding up, Mr. Gladstone was
undecided about speaking. "What do you advise?" he asked of a friend. "I
am afraid it will take too much out of you," the friend replied; "but
still, speak for twenty minutes and no more." Up he rose, and for half an
hour a delighted House was treated to one of the most remarkable
performances that ever was known. "I have never seen Mr. Gladstone," says
one observer, "so dramatic, so prolific of all the resources of the
actor's art. The courage, the audacity, and the melodrama of it were
irresistible" (May 11).

For ten minutes, writes another chronicler, Mr. Gladstone spoke,
holding his audience spell-bound by his force. Then came a sudden
change, and it seemed that he was about to collapse from sheer
physical exhaustion. His voice failed, huskiness and
indistinctness took the place of clearness and lucidity. Then
pulling himself together for a great effort, Mr. Gladstone
pointing the deprecatory finger at Mr. Chamberlain, warned the
Irishmen to beware of him; to watch the fowler who would inveigle
them in his snare. Loud and long rang the liberal cheers. In plain
words he told the unionists that Mr. Chamberlain's purpose was
none other than obstruction, and he conveyed the intimation with a
delicate expressiveness, a superabundant good feeling, a dramatic
action and a marvellous music of voice that conspire