sington Palace about
five o'clock, early, but in broad daylight, and they knocked and rang
and made a commotion for a considerable time before they could arouse
the porter at the gate. Being admitted, they were kept waiting in the
courtyard, and then, seeming to be forgotten by everybody, they turned
into a lower room and again rang and pounded. Servants appearing, they
desired that an attendant might be sent to inform the princess that they
requested an audience on business of importance. Then there was more
delay, and another ringing to learn the cause, which ultimately brought
the attendant, who stated that the princess was in such a sweet sleep
she could not venture to disturb her. Thoroughly vexed, they said, "We
are come to the queen on business of state, and even her sleep must give
way to that." This produced a speedy result, for, to prove that it was
not she who kept them waiting, Victoria in a few minutes came into the
room in a loose white nightgown and shawl, with her hair falling upon
her shoulders and her feet in slippers, shedding tears, but perfectly
collected. She immediately summoned her council at Kensington Palace,
but most of the summonses were not received by those to whom they were
sent till after the early hour fixed for the meeting. She sat at the
head of the table, and, as a lady who was then at court writes, "she
received first the homage of the Duke of Cumberland, who was not King of
Hanover when he knelt to her; the Duke of Sussex rose to perform the
same ceremony, but the queen with admirable grace stood up, and,
preventing him from kneeling, kissed him on the forehead. The crowd was
so great, the arrangements were so ill made, that my brothers told me
the scene of swearing allegiance to their young sovereign was more like
that of the bidding at an auction than anything else."

THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT.

[Illustration: THE VICTORIA TOWER, HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT.]

[Illustration: INTERIOR OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.]

The finest of all the public buildings of the British government in
London, the Houses of Parliament, are on the bank of the Thames in
Westminster, and are of modern construction. The old Parliament Houses
were burnt nearly fifty years ago, and Sir Charles Barry designed the
present magnificent palace, which covers nearly eight acres and cost
$20,000,000. The architecture is in the Tudor style, and the grand
facade stretches nine hundred and forty feet along a terrace fronting