homes to London at this inclement season, to do the work of the
nation. Assembled as usual on a Friday night; important business on;
Ministers and their friends go off to dinner; and, it being found
there are not Forty Members present, House is Counted Out at half-past
eight. Night absolutely lost; Sitting criminally chucked away."

"Ah!" I said, sympathetically; "must have been very hard upon you,
sternly attending to your duty whilst others gambolled in the shade.
And then to be suddenly Counted Out! How many of you were there when
the Count was made?"

[Illustration: "Count" Cameron]

"Well--er--you see, TOBY," said CAMERON, almost blushing; "the fact
is I wasn't there myself, though that, of course, does not deter
me from invoking censure on Ministers. Indeed I am not sure that
the circumstance doesn't place me in a more favourable position.
Outsiders, you know, see most of game. I was outside; had, in fact,
comfortably gone off to dinner, expecting other people would stop to
make House. But they didn't, and I feel I'm just the man to make it
hot for OLD MORALITY and his friends, who ought to have been here."

Other people didn't seem to see it in quite that light. Condemnatory
Motion negatived by 184 Votes against 42.

House thereupon took up Naval Estimates. Instantly Commodore HARCOURT
appeared in offing; landed on Front Opposition Bench, diffusing
unwonted smell of stale mussels and seaweed. Commodore looked very
imposing pacing down quarter-deck towards Mace, with telescope
under his arm, sou'wester pulled well over his ears, and unpolished