tory contingent from Ireland. Two months later the
expert admitted that the tory chances were improving, mainly owing to what
in electioneering slang was called the church scare. Fair trade, too, had
made many converts in Lancashire. On the very eve of the polls the
estimate at liberal headquarters was a majority of forty over tories and
Irishmen combined.

II

(M93) As I should have told the reader on an earlier page, Mr. Gladstone
had proceeded to his own constituency on November 9. The previous month
had found, as usual, endless other interests to occupy him, quite apart
from politics. These are the ordinary entries. "Worked, say, five hours on
books. Three more hours reduced my books and rooms to apparent order, but
much detail remains. Worked mildly on books." In this region he would have
said of disorder and disarray what Carlyle said to dirt, "Thou shalt not
abide with me." As to the insides of books, his reading was miscellaneous:
Madame d'Arblay, Bodley's _Remains_, Bachaumont's _Anecdotes_, Cuvier's
_Theory of the Earth_, Whewell on _Astronomy_, the _Life of B. Gilpin_,
Hennell's _Inquiry_, Schmidt's _Social Effects of Christianity_, Miss
Martineau's _Autobiography_, Anderson on _Glory of the Bible,_ Barrow's
_Towards the Truth_, and so on--many of the books now stone-dead. Besides
such reading as this, he "made a beginning of a paper on Hermes, and read
for it," and worked hard at a controversial article, in reply to M.
Reville, upon the Dawn of Creation and Worship. When he corrected the
proof, he found it ill-written, and in truth we may rather marvel at, than
admire, the hardihood that handled such themes amid such
distractions.(159) Much company arrived. "Count Muenster came to luncheon;
long walk and talk with him. The Derby-Bedford party came and went. I had
an hour's good conversation with Lord D. Tea in the open air. _Oct.
7._--Mr. Chamberlain came. Well, and much conversation. _Oct. 8._--Mr.
Chamberlain. Three hours of conversation."

Before the end of the month the doctors reported excellently of the
condition of his vocal cords, and when he started for Dalmeny and the
scene of the exploits of 1880 once more, he was in spirits to enjoy "an
animated journey," and the vast enthusiasm with which Edinburgh again
received him. His speeches were marked by undiminished fire. He boldly
challenged a verdict on policy in the Soudan, while freely admitting that
in some points, not immaterial, his cabi