nswer to this there
arose a perfect torrent of almost vituperative antagonism from the
opposite side of the House. Did the Right Honourable gentleman dare
to say that the question had been ventilated in the country, when it
had never been broached by him or any of his followers till after
the general election had been completed? Was it not notorious to
the country that the first hint of it had been given when the Right
Honourable gentleman was elected for East Barsetshire, and was it not
equally notorious that that election had been so arranged that the
marvellous proposition of the Right Honourable gentleman should not
be known even to his own party till there remained no possibility of
the expression of any condemnation from the hustings? It might be
that the Right Honourable could so rule his own followers in that
House as to carry them with him even in a matter so absolutely
opposite to their own most cherished convictions. It certainly seemed
that he had succeeded in doing so for the present. But would any one
believe that he would have carried the country, had he dared to face
the country with such a measure in his hands? Ventilation, indeed! He
had not dared to ventilate his proposition. He had used this short
Session in order that he might keep his clutch fastened on power, and
in doing so was indifferent alike to the Constitution, to his party,
and to the country. Harder words had never been spoken in the House
than were uttered on this occasion. But the Minister was successful.
He had been supported on the Address; and he went home to East
Barsetshire at Christmas, perhaps with some little fear of the
parsons around him; but with a full conviction that he would at least
carry the second reading of his bill.

London was more than usually full and busy this year immediately
after Christmas. It seemed as though it were admitted by all the
Liberal party generally that the sadness of the occasion ought to
rob the season of its usual festivities. Who could eat mince pies
or think of Twelfth Night while so terribly wicked a scheme was in
progress for keeping the real majority out in the cold? It was the
injustice of the thing that rankled so deeply,--that, and a sense
of inferiority to the cleverness displayed by Mr. Daubeny! It was
as when a player is checkmated by some audacious combination of
two pawns and a knight, such being all the remaining forces of the
victorious adversary, when the beaten man has two castl