hting men of the houses of _Capulet_ and _Montague._
Meeting _Sampson_ in a public place in Verona, _Abram_ truculently asks,
"Do you bite your thumb at us, Sir?

_Sam._ I do bite my thumb, Sir.

_Abr._ Do you bite your thumb at us, Sir?

_Sam. (aside, to his comrade _Gregory). Is the law on our side if I say
ay?

_Greg._ No.

_Sam._ No, Sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, Sir; but I bite my
thumb."

KINLOCH-COOKE, having put question to WEDGWOOD BENN, following it up by
two supplementary inquiries, put a third when the SPEAKER interposed.
Shrugging his shoulders in silent protest against this tyranny
KINLOCH-COOKE resumed his seat.

Said the SPEAKER sternly, "It is no good shrugging your shoulders at
me."

This is prosaic account of incident given in this morning's papers.
Refer to _Hansard_ and see how it runs.

_SPEAKER._ Do you shrug your shoulders at me, Sir?

_KINLOCH-COOKE._ I do shrug my shoulders, Sir.

_SPEAKER._ Do you shrug your shoulders at me, Sir?

_KINLOCH-COOKE (aside to WINTERTON)._ Is there anything in the Standing
Orders that forbids my shrugging my shoulders at the SPEAKER?

_WINTERTON (who is training for Speakership and has them all by heart)._
Yes.

_KINLOCH-COOKE._ No, Sir, I do not shrug my shoulders at you, Sir; but I
shrug my shoulders.

_SPEAKER._ Order! Order!

_Business done._--Another plot that failed. For some weeks Opposition
have not attempted to snap a division. Ministerialists, lulled into
sense of security, off guard. Secret preparations sedulously made for
trapping them this afternoon. Questions over, division challenged on
formal motion. Ministerial Whips awake in good time to emergency. Urgent
messages had been sent out to their men by telephone and special
messengers. Arrivals watched with feverish interest. Ministerialists
hurriedly drop in by twos and threes, presently by tens. ILLINGWORTH'S
massive brow, temporarily seared with wrinkles, smooths out. When, after
division, Clerk hands paper to him indicating that ambush has been
baffled, hilarious cheer rises from Ministerial benches. Renewed when
figures read by the SPEAKER show that the motion is carried by 255 votes
against 234.

"Not a high-class game in imperial politics," says SARK. "Rather akin to
the humour of making a butter slide on the pavement for the discomfiture
of unsuspecting passers-by. But boys will be boys."

* * * * *

Illustration: Mr. ROWLAND HUNT