speech falters; presently he sits down, shrivelled up, as it were,
under the reproachful glance of the new Leader. Thus the hours pass,
and the votes too, till by midnight all the money is voted for the
Navy, and whole blocks of Civil Service Estimates have been passed.

[Illustration: Poltalloch.]

_Business done._--Supply voted with both hands.

_Friday._--Army Estimates on in Committee of Supply. Gather from
general conversation that things are awful. FRASER, V.C., says they
are going to the dogs. WALTER BARTTELOT "going," as he sometimes asks
permission to do, "one step farther," says they've gone. STANHOPE
evidently expecting an assault on his Department, brought in with
him a stout stick. "When JULIUS 'ANNIBAL PICTON got up just now, and
gave a brief _résumé_ of the operations in which his great ancestor
defeated FLAMINIUS and SERVILIUS at the Lake of Thrasymenus; pretty
to see how STANHOPE almost involuntarily made a pass at him with the
stick.

"Question! Question!" cried STUART WORTLEY, from behind the SPEAKER's
chair.

"This is the question," retorted J.A.P., "or it is at least leading
me up to it. I am about, Mr. COURTNEY, to show how, supposing the War
Office at Carthage had been managed on the same principles as those
which govern the conduct of the Right Hon. Gentleman, my illustrious
ancestor, instead of routing the enemy, would have fled from the face
of FLAMINIUS, scuttled off before SERVILIUS, and would never have
lived to vanquish VARROW at Cannes."