hing of the favoured hours, have been time enough. Members
would not have objected to postpone their dinner till half-past
eight, or perhaps nine, when their favourite orator was on his legs.
But with Mr. Gresham beginning a great speech at eight, dinner would
altogether become doubtful, and the disaster might be serious. It was
not probable that Mr. Daubeny had even among his friends proclaimed
any such strategy; but it was thought by the political speculators of
the day that such an idea had been present to his mind.

But Mr. Gresham was not to be turned from his purpose. He waited for
a few moments, and then rose and addressed the Speaker. A few members
left the House;--gentlemen, doubtless, whose constitutions, weakened
by previous service, could not endure prolonged fasting. Some who had
nearly reached the door returned to their seats, mindful of Messrs.
Roby and Ratler. But for the bulk of those assembled the interest
of the moment was greater even than the love of dinner. Some of the
peers departed, and it was observed that a bishop or two left the
House; but among the strangers in the gallery, hardly a foot of space
was gained. He who gave up his seat then, gave it up for the night.

Mr. Gresham began with a calmness of tone which seemed almost to be
affected, but which arose from a struggle on his own part to repress
that superabundant energy of which he was only too conscious. But the
calmness soon gave place to warmth, which heated itself into violence
before he had been a quarter of an hour upon his legs. He soon became
even ferocious in his invective, and said things so bitter that
he had himself no conception of their bitterness. There was this
difference between the two men,--that whereas Mr. Daubeny hit always
as hard as he knew how to hit, having premeditated each blow, and
weighed its results beforehand, having calculated his power even to
the effect of a blow repeated on a wound already given, Mr. Gresham
struck right and left and straightforward with a readiness engendered
by practice, and in his fury might have murdered his antagonist
before he was aware that he had drawn blood. He began by refusing
absolutely to discuss the merits of the bill. The right honourable
gentleman had prided himself on his generosity as a Greek. He would
remind the right honourable gentleman that presents from Greeks had
ever been considered dangerous. "It is their gifts, and only their
gifts, that we fear," he said. The