wicked species of _fauna_ that defends
itself when attacked. He complained this afternoon that Mr. ASQUITH had in
his recent speeches "trounced a beginner," but Sir ERIC showed, for a
novice, considerable aggressive power. He claimed that the Ministry of
Transport had already saved a cool million by securing the abrogation of an
extravagant contract entered into by Mr. ASQUITH'S Government. The EX
PREMIER, however, insisted that if a mistake had been made the Railway
Department of the Board of Trade could have corrected it just as well as
its grandiose successor and at an infinitely smaller cost.

* * * * *

[Illustration: _Naturalised Alien._ "VY DOND YOU GED OUD OF MY VAY? DOND
YOU KNOW DER RULE OF DER RIVER?"

_Bargeman._ "WHICH? THE RHINE?"]

* * * * *

THE NEW COURTIERSHIP.

(_With profound acknowledgment to the writer of the article on "Heroine
Worship" in "The Times" of June 24th._)

While thrones and dynasties have rocked or fallen in the great world
upheaval of the last six years, there remains one form of monarchy which
has proved impervious to all the shocks of circumstance--the monarchy of
genius. If proof be demanded of this assertion we need only point to the
wonderful manifestations of loyalty evoked in the last week by the advent
of the Queen of the Film World and her admirable consort. The adoration of
MARY PICKFORD has been compared with that of MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS, and not
without some show of reason, for the appeal which her acting, makes is
always to the sense of chivalry which, in however sentimental a form, is
characteristic of our race.

But the noble adulation which the latest of our royal visitors inspires is
deeper and more universal than that prompted by the charm and the
misfortunes of her namesake. MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS, as the evidence of
contemporary portraits conclusively establishes, was not conspicuous for
her personal beauty. In the "Queen business" she was a failure, and her
prestige is largely if not entirely posthumous. Her character has been
impugned by historians; even her most faithful champions have not
pronounced her impeccable.

Centuries were necessary to raise MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS to her somewhat
insecure pinnacle of devotion; by the alchemy of a machine centuries have
been shortened to days and nights in the meteoric career of Miss PICKFORD.
Yet merit has joined fortune in high cabal. Handicapped