But the peculiar consciousness of the man
displayed itself even in his constrained absence of motion. You could
see that he felt himself to be the beheld of all beholders, and that
he enjoyed the position,--with some slight inward trepidation lest
the effort to be made should not equal the greatness of the occasion.
Immediately after him Mr. Gresham bustled up the centre of the House
amidst a roar of good-humoured welcome. We have had many Ministers
who have been personally dearer to their individual adherents in the
House than the present leader of the Opposition and late Premier, but
none, perhaps, who has been more generally respected by his party
for earnestness and sincerity. On the present occasion there was a
fierceness, almost a ferocity, in his very countenance, to the fire
of which friends and enemies were equally anxious to add fuel,--the
friends in order that so might these recreant Tories be more
thoroughly annihilated, and the enemies, that their enemy's
indiscretion might act back upon himself to his confusion.
Pages:
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544