enough to be
sensible of failure.

He had a kind audience, and an interested one. When he opened his mouth,
he forgot his first sentence, which he had long prepared. In trying to
recall it and failing, he was for a moment confused. But it was only for
a moment; the unpremeditated came to his aid, and his voice, at first
tremulous, was recognised as distinct and rich. There was a murmur of
sympathy, and not merely from his own side. Suddenly, both physically
and intellectually, he was quite himself. His arrested circulation
flowed, and fed his stagnant brain. His statement was lucid, his
arguments were difficult to encounter, and his manner was modest. He
sate down amid general applause, and though he was then conscious that
he had omitted more than one point on which he had relied, he was on
the whole satisfied, and recollected that he might use them in reply,
a privilege to which he now looked forward with feelings of comfort and
confidence.

The minister again followed him, and in an elaborate speech. The subject
evidently, in the opinion of the minister, was of too delicate and
difficult a character to trust to a subordinate. Overwhelmed as he was
with the labours of his own department, the general conduct of
affairs, and the leadership of the House, he still would undertake the
representation of an office with whose business he was not familiar.
Wary and accurate he always was, but in discussions on foreign affairs,
he never exhibited the unrivalled facility with which he ever treated
a commercial or financial question, or that plausible promptness with
which, at a moment's notice, he could encounter any difficulty connected
with domestic administration.

All these were qualities which Lord Roehampton possessed with reference
to the affairs over which he had long presided, and in the present
instance, following the minister, he was particularly happy. He had
a good case, and he was gratified by the success of Endymion. He
complimented him and confuted his opponent, and, not satisfied with
demolishing his arguments, Lord Roehampton indulged in a little raillery
which the House enjoyed, but which was never pleasing to the more solemn
organisation of his rival.

No language can describe the fury of Waldershare as to the events
of this evening. He looked upon the conduct of the minister, in
not permitting him to represent his department, as a decree of the
incapacity of his subordinate, and of the virtual terminati