Various

“ Persuasion tips his tongue whene'er he'll talk,
And he has Chambers near the King's Bench Walk.
These things we knew; but not till to-night came discovery how persuasive Ambrose can be.
It was the Tenth Clause of the Home-Rule Bill that roused the (attorney's) devil in him. Fact that Clause II. was under discussion, and consequently out of order to debate Clause X., an incident of no consequence, except that it indirectly supplied incentive to his passionate eloquence, and led to disclosure of the true Ambrose. When he approached Clause X., cries of "Order! Order!" interrupted. ”

“ The dozen Infantry men wait until the erection is completed, and then fire a volley. The Sappers return the compliment. No one hurt, and the dozen retire to the tower-like gateway in the background. The Artillery at this point rush in and trot over the newly-erected bridge. They then fire in the direction of the dozen heroes, but without any apparent result.
Grand charge of Colonial Cavalry, with and without additional men. They act as Mounted Infantry. They are fired upon—in a half-hearted sort of way—by the dozen of Infantry seeking shelter in the gateway. The fire seems to agree with them. ”

“ Wednesday.—Pretty to see Gorst just now balancing Macartney's hat by brim on tip of his nose. Looks easy enough when done by an expert; those inclined to scoff at the accomplishment should try it themselves. Opportunity came suddenly, and unexpectedly. No ground for supposing Gorst had been practising the trick in the Cloak-room before entering House. No collusion; all fair and above-board—or, rather, above nose. Came about as incident in Committee on Home-Rule Bill. Jokim, taking part in game of Chairman-baiting, challenged Mellor's ruling on putting Motion to Report Progress. ”

“ Great as is the success to-night of new Opera, I feel sure that Cavalleria, with its simple story, and its marvellous intermezzo, is still at the head of the poll. Yet is Pagliacci melodious and dramatic. Madame Melba at her best in Nedda, and the dramatic power, specially of Signor de Lucia as Canio and of Mons. Ancona as Tonio, would have carried the piece, as a piece, even without the musical setting. To-night De Lucia shows himself a great actor. There were encores in plenty. Ancona Tonio interrupts the overture in order to sing a prologue. ”

“ I'll give 'em something new in the shape of a prologue." Pagliacci and Cavalleria will assist each other, and Sir Druriolanus is fortunate in being able to run two winners. The new Opera is admirably rendered in every respect, and when Mr. Richard Green, as the gallant young farmer, is matured—that is, has less of the Green about him and more of the ripeness of artistic perfection—there will not be a single fault to find with the representation. ”

“ House being cleared for a Division, rules of debate require Member to address Chair seated, and wearing his hat. What would happen to British Constitution if, in such circumstances, Member rose and addressed Speaker or Chairman in ordinary fashion, Heaven only knows. No mere man bold enough to try it. Even Mr. G., who has Disestablished a Church, and now tampers with Unity of the Empire, shrinks before this temptation.
Jokim, making his complaint, got along all right. Performed task in due form; Mellor justified his action; Gorst proposed to follow. ”

“ Nobody knows what Bill is about, least of all Hanbury; but he has opposed it at every stage. Yesterday divided Committee on First Clause; returns to attack to-day. "Better let us get away for our hardly-earned holiday," I said.
"That's very well for you, Toby," said Hanbury, beating his chest in default of getting at the Treasury's; "but there's a dark mystery under this business which I mean to fathom. You remember the case of another chest and its weird associations?
'Fifteen men on a dead man's chest—
Ho! Ho! Ho! and a bottle of rum.'
Harcourt may, or may not, have been one of the fifteen. ”

“ A. A Barrister is forced to do his best for his client, but a Solicitor is not. As a rule the Solicitor deputes to his Chief Clerk if he has one, or somebody in the office if he has not, the duties of conducting a suit through Chambers. ”

“ Enter an Ambulance Corps to pick up one of the colonists who has obligingly been wounded by the blank cartridges of the dozen Infantry.
Sudden appearance of the strength of the entire company. The gateway is stormed, and the dozen Infantry men are overpowered. ”

“ So did I. Fact is— (with a mixture of importance and apology) I rather thought of buying a picture here, if I see anything that takes my fancy—y' know.
His Friend (impressed) . Not many who can afford to throw money away on pictures, these hard times!
The P. P. (anxious to disclaim any idea of recklessness) . Just the time to pick 'em up cheap, if you know what you're about. And you see, we've had the drawing-room done up, and the wife wants something to fill up the space over her writing-table, between the fireplace and one of the windows. ”

“ General excellence of performance greatly assisted by Duke of Teck enthusiastically beating time with his dexter band. Such auxiliary conducting must be of unspeakable service to Signor Mancinelli.
Tuesday Night.—Orfeo, with Giulia Ravogli charming as ever in her representation of "Orpheus with his loot,"—his "loot" being Eurydice, who had become the private property of that infernal monarch Pluto. Welcome to Mlle. Bauermeister as the Meister of Cupid's Bower, Cupid himself. Cavalleria Rusticana to follow, with Madame Calvé's grand impersonation of the simple and sad Santuzza. ”

“ I suppose that's where he got the idea.
[They go out, feeling that the picture is satisfactorily accounted for.
[pg 245]
The P. P. (before a small canvas) . Yes, this is the right thing at last. The paper doesn't seem to put it out in the least, and the sort of subject, you know, that no one can object to. I've quite fallen in love with it. I don't care what it costs—I positively must have it. I'm sure the wife will be as fond of it as I am. ”

“ The odd part of these Manx-men's legs is that they are their arms. It was originally selected as pictorially exhibiting the innocent character of the Manx Islanders. For their greatest enemy must own that "the strange device" of the three legs is utterly 'armless. ”

“ Treat to see Vaschetti as smiling Herald, with a lot to say for somebody else, and pleasant to note that the last person in the dramatis personæ included in the cast of the Opera is "Conductor, Signor Mancinelli," who beats time, winning easily. ”

“ G., blushing in fashion never learned by youth of to-day, "that's due to your too friendly way of looking at things. What I was about to say is, that ever since I entered public life I have always known a Cavendish to the fore. Ministries may rise and fall; the Cavendishes remain. Curious thing is they have not—at least in recent times—personally a passion for politics, as Pitt had, or such as, in some degree, influences me. They would, if they had their own way, be out of it.
[pg 251]
THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEE'S HOLIDAY DREAM.
[pg 252]
Victor, or Vig-Tory-ish, Cavendish. ”