For,
indeed, it never could be denied that as a Prime Minister Mr. Gresham
could be very indiscreet.
A certain small amount of ordinary business was done, to the disgust
of expectant strangers, which was as trivial as possible in its
nature,--so arranged, apparently, that the importance of what was to
follow might be enhanced by the force of contrast. And, to make the
dismay of the novice stranger more thorough, questions were asked and
answers were given in so low a voice, and Mr. Speaker uttered a word
or two in so quick and shambling a fashion, that he, the novice
stranger, began to fear that no word of the debate would reach him up
there in his crowded back seat. All this, however, occupied but a few
minutes, and at twenty minutes past four Mr. Daubeny was on his legs.
Then the novice stranger found that, though he could not see Mr.
Daubeny without the aid of an opera glass, he could hear every word
that fell from his lips.
Mr. Daubeny began by regretting the hardness of his position, in that
he must, with what thoroughness he might be able to achieve, apply
himself to two great subjects, whereas the right honourable gentleman
opposite had already declared, with all the formality which could be
made to attach itself to a combined meeting of peers and commoners,
that he would confine himself strictly to one.
Pages:
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545