himself heard was a young
fellow of slight build and neat dress, who stood a little apart from the
solid crowd and leaned negligently, with folded arms and feet crossed,
against a desk. Trim and handsome; strong face and thin features; black
hair roughed up; parsimonious moustache; resonant great voice, of
good tone and pitch. It is Wolf, capable and hospitable with sword and
pistol; fighter of the recent duel with Count Badeni, the head of the
Government. He shot Badeni through the arm and then walked over in the
politest way and inspected his game, shook hands, expressed regret, and
all that. Out of him came early this thundering peal, audible above the
storm:

'I demand the floor. I wish to offer a motion.'

In the sudden lull which followed, the President answered, 'Dr. Lecher
has the floor.'

Wolf. 'I move the close of the sitting!'

P. 'Representative Lecher has the floor.' (Stormy outburst from the
Left--that is, the Opposition.)

Wolf. 'I demand the floor for the introduction of a formal notion.
(Pause). Mr. President, are you going to grant it, or not? (Crash of
approval from the Left.) I will keep on demanding the floor till I get
it.'

P. 'I call Representative Wolf to order. Dr. Lecher has the floor.'

Wolf. 'Mr. President, are you going to observe the Rules of this House?'
(Tempest of applause and confused ejaculations from the Left--a boom and
roar which long endured, and stopped all business for the time being.)

Dr. von Pessler. 'By the Rules motions are in order, and the Chair must
put them to vote.'

For answer the President (who is a Pole--I make this remark in passing)
began to jangle his bell with energy at the moment that that wild
pandemonium of voices broke out again.

Wolf (hearable above the storm). 'Mr. President, I demand the floor. We
intend to find out, here and now, which is the hardest, a Pole's skull
or a German's!'

This brought out a perfect cyclone of satisfaction from the Left. In the
midst of it someone again moved an Adjournment. The President blandly
answered that Dr. Lecher had the floor. Which was true; and he was
speaking, too, calmly, earnestly, and argumentatively; and the official
stenographers had left their places and were at his elbows taking down
his words, he leaning and orating into their ears--a most curious and
interesting scene.

Dr. von Pessler (to the Chair). 'Do not drive us to extremities!'

The tempest burst out again: yells of approval from t