r that was always surprising."

[Footnote]
* John D. Long.
[End of Footnote]

"'He reminds me of the Younger Pitt. Who is he?' asked Sir
Hugh, with a touch of enthusiasm that was in striking contrast
with his habitual and aristocratic insouciance.

"'Oh, that,' said Montaigne, with a smile, 'is Mr. William
Shortley, commonly called Billy Shortlegs. He is very popular,
well up in classics, and stands a good chance of being Governor
some day. Shall I introduce you?'

"'Thank you, presently. Whom are they calling for now?' inquired
Sir Hugh, as a chorus of voices cried out 'Amos Blackstone!
Amos Blackstone! Amos, Amos, Amos!'

"Montaigne himself was chanting 'Blackstone! Blackstone!'
with great gusto. When that gentleman rose, a perfect storm
of cheers went up, during which Montaigne said: 'Now you will
hear something, Sir Hugh. I shall want to know what you think
of him.'

"Sir Hugh put up his eye-glass, not that his sight was defective
but the occasion was important. Mr. Amos Blackstone had arrived
at the dignified age of three score years. In some respects
he curiously resembled the previous speaker, though considerably
his senior. He stood perhaps five feet five inches in his
boots. With the exception of his legs, he was a heavily built
man, with a large head, an ample brow, a hairless face, very
red, with large cheeks, and an under jaw like a lion. His
eyes were small, but wonderfully bright and intelligent. He
looked so portentously solemn, that when you learnt that he
was perfectly well in mind, body and estate, the inclination
to laugh was irresistible. This remarkable man began to speak
in a husky, asthmatical voice, that gradually came out of
the clouds and grew clear. His subject was, 'The Abstention
of our Young Men from Politics: Causes and Cure.' He was evidently
a master of his subject, and spoke without notes. He was
absolutely without any pretence to oratory; and yet for thirty
minutes he played upon his audience as it were a pipe, and
plucked out the heart of its mystery. He was by turn, serious,
merry, doleful, witty, pathetic, humorous, ironical and gravely
philosophic. When he was gay in speech, his face was funereal,
and during the utterances of his grave reflections, his face
was lighted up with a winning smile. There were moments when
one might have heard a pin drop; when one could not have heard
his name, if shouted, for laughter; when one's eyes gathered
a sudden m