LL LETTER IOTA WITH OXIA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER MU~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER NU~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER FINAL SIGMA~} through a
succession of the most violent and unearthly noises, banging,
crashing, roaring, squealing, that a railway station traversed by
innumerable goods' trains can supply..... I will not trouble you
with, more words of thanks, I feel them so poor and idle.

Two days later Mr. Gladstone wrote to the Duke of Argyll:--

_April 12, 1880._--All our heads are still in a whirl from the
great events of the last fortnight, which have given joy, I am
convinced, to the large majority of the civilised world. The
downfall of Beaconsfieldism is like the vanishing of some vast
magnificent castle in an Italian romance. It is too big, however,
to be all taken in at once. Meantime, while I inwardly rejoice, I
am against all outward signs, beyond such as are purely local, of
exultation, for they are not chivalrous, and they would tend to
barbarise political warfare. We may be well content to thank God
in silence. But the outlook is tremendous! The gradual unravelling
of the tangled knots of the foreign and Indian policy will indeed
be a task for skilled and strong hands, if they can be found; and
these can hardly be found such as the case requires.

Chapter IX. The Second Ministry. (1880)

There is indeed one great and critical act, the responsibility for
which falls momentarily or provisionally on the Sovereign: it is
the dismissal of an existing Ministry, and the appointment of a
new one. This act is usually performed with the aid drawn from
authentic manifestations of public opinion, mostly such as are
obtained through the votes or conduct of the House of
Commons.--GLADSTONE.

The day after the declaration of the poll in Midlothian, Mr. Gladstone and
his wife and daughter quitted Dalmeny, and made their way homewards, as we
have just seen.

_April 6._--A heavy day with post, incessant telegrams, and
preparations for departure. We drove, however, to Linlithgow, saw
the beautiful church and fine old castle, and I made a short
non-polemical speech to the people.... Careful concealment of the
plans of departure until well on in the evening. Left this most
hospitable of all houses at 8.30, and got into the 9.25, escaping
by se