nd other serious outrages had increased. The policy
of arbitrary arrest had completely failed, and the officials and crown
lawyers at the Castle were at their wits' end.

While the cabinet was face to face with this ugly prospect, Mr. Gladstone
received a communication volunteered by an Irish member, as to the new
attitude of Mr. Parnell and the possibility of turning it to good account.
Mr. Gladstone sent this letter on to Forster, replying meanwhile "in the
sense of not shutting the door." When the thing came before the cabinet,
Mr. Chamberlain--who had previously told Mr. Gladstone that he thought the
time opportune for something like a reconciliation with the Irish
party--with characteristic courage took his life in his hands, as he put
it, and set to work to ascertain through the emissary what use for the
public good could be made of Mr. Parnell's changed frame of mind. On April
25th, the cabinet heard what Mr. Chamberlain had to tell them, and it came
to this, that Mr. Parnell was desirous to use his influence on behalf of
peace, but his influence for good depended on the settlement of the
question of arrears. Ministers decided that they could enter into no
agreement and would give no pledge. They would act on their own
responsibility in the light of the knowledge they had gained of Mr.
Parnell's views. Mr. Gladstone was always impatient of any reference to
"reciprocal assurances" or "tacit understanding" in respect of the
dealings with the prisoner in Kilmainham. Still the nature of the
proceedings was plain enough. The object of the communications to which
the government were invited by Mr. Parnell through his emissary, was,
supposing him to be anxious to do what (M26) he could for law and order,
to find out what action on the part of the government would enable him to
adopt this line.

Events then moved rapidly. Rumours that something was going on got abroad,
and questions began to be put in parliament. A stout tory gave notice of a
motion aiming at the release of the suspects. As Mr. Gladstone informed
the Queen, there was no doubt that the general opinion of the public was
moving in a direction adverse to arbitrary imprisonment, though the
question was a nice one for consideration whether the recent surrender by
the no-rent party of its extreme and most subversive contentions, amounted
to anything like a guarantee for their future conduct in respect of peace
and order. The rising excitement was swelled by the