and
the authorities at the Horse Guards, respecting his application to be
reinstated in the army.' I 'll get a special Tuesday for the motion, and
I 'll have Howley in to second me, and maybe we won't shake the Treasury
benches! for you see the question opens everything that ever was,
or could be, said about the army. It opens Horse Guards cruelty and
irresponsibility, those Bashi-Bazouks that rule the service like
despots; it opens the purchase system from end to end; it opens
the question of promotion by merit; it opens the great problem of
retirement and superannuation. By my conscience! I think I could bring
the Thirty-nine Articles into it, if I was vexed."

The Member for Inch had all that persuasive power a ready tongue and
an unscrupulous temper supply, and speedily convinced the young soldier
that his case would not alone redound to his own advancement but become
a precedent, which should benefit hundreds of others equally badly
treated as himself.

It was while thus conning over the project, O'Shea mentioned, in deepest
confidence, the means of that extraordinary success which, he averred,
had never failed to attend all his efforts in the House, and this was,
that he never ventured on one of his grand displays without a previous
rehearsal at home; that is, he assembled at his own lodgings a supper
company of his most acute and intelligent friends--young barristers,
men engaged on the daily or weekly press--the smart squib-writers and
caricaturists of the day--alive to everything ridiculous, and unsparing
in their criticism; and by these was he judged in a sort of mock
Parliament formed by themselves. To each of these was allotted the
character of some noted speaker in the House, who did his best to
personate the individual by every trait of manner, voice, and action,
while a grave, imposing-looking man, named Doran, was a capital
counterfeit of the "Speaker."

O'Shea explained to Heathcote that the great advantage of this scheme
consisted in the way it secured one against surprises; no possible
interruption being omitted, nor any cavilling objection spared to the
orator. "You'll see," he added, "that after sustaining these assaults,
the attack of the real fellows is only pastime."

The day being fixed on, the company, numbering nigh twenty, assembled,
and Charles Heathcote could not avoid observing that their general air
and appearance were scarcely senatorial. O'Shea assured him gravity
would soon succee