nt, he
avoided decision until the time had come when decision was necessary, and
then he made up his mind, "without the appearance of an arbitrary choice,"
that the time had come for accepting the natural break, and quitting
office.

On Feb. 27, arriving in the evening at Euston from Ireland, I found a
messenger with a note from Mr. Gladstone begging me to call on my way
home. I found him busy as usual at his table in Downing Street. "I suppose
'tis the long habit of a life," he said cheerily, "but even in the midst
of these passages, if ever I have half or quarter of an hour to spare, I
find myself turning to my Horace translation." He said the prorogation
speech would be settled on Thursday; the Queen would consider it on
Friday; the council would be held on Saturday, and on that evening or
afternoon he should send in his letter of resignation.

The next day he had an audience at Buckingham Palace, and indirectly
conveyed to the Queen what she might soon expect to learn from him. His
rigorous sense of loyalty to colleagues made it improper and impossible to
bring either before the Queen or the public his difference of judgment on
matters for which his colleagues, not he, would be responsible, and on
which they, not he, would have to take action. He derived certain
impressions at his audience, he told me, one of them being that the
Sovereign would not seek his advice as to a successor.

He wrote to inform the Prince of Wales of the approaching event:--

In thus making it known to your royal Highness, he concluded, I
desire to convey, on my own and my wife's part our fervent thanks
for the unbounded kindness which we have at all times received
from your royal Highness and not less from the beloved Princess of
Wales. The devotion of an old man is little worth; but if at any
time there be the smallest service which by information or
suggestion your royal Highness may believe me capable of
rendering, I shall remain as much at your command as if I had
continued to be an active and responsible servant of the Queen. I
remain with heartfelt loyalty and gratitude, etc.

The Prince expressed his sincere regret, said how deeply the Princess and
he were touched by the kind words about them, and how greatly for a long
number of years they had valued his friendship and that of Mrs. Gladstone.
Mr. Balfour, to whom he also confidentially told the news, communicated
among other graceful