of
uneasiness.

"I'll keep mee oi on things when ye'er gone, dear Bhoy," he said, giving
his Chief resounding whack on back that nearly knocked him down. "We
learnt a thing or two when gettin' the Bill o' Roights through, and I've
seen a thrifle since."

A dreary place the House, yet struggling through fag-ends of work. Not a
cheery Session from any point of view. No new reputations made; some old
ones shaken, some shattered.

* * * * *

SOME NOTES AT STARMOUTH.

[Illustration]

_Views after Breakfast._--Now to lay down the lines for my Drama....
Eleven--and the only lines I have laid down, as yet, are "Act I., Scene
I!" I must stimulate my imagination by the sight of salt water.

_On the Sands._--Dense crowd. Deafening noise. Penny bagpipes, comb and
paper. Italian girls with accordion, trumpet from sailing-boat. "'Ere
y'are for a jolly sail out, Sir!"--which happens to be just the precise
thing I am _not_ here for. Nor (I should have thought) do I look the
kind of person likely to buy that "strong and emusing toy, one penny,
the little Chinese Bandalore"--but these fellows have no eye for
character. Several shoeblacks very anxious to black my boots, which, as
I tell them, would be "painting the lily." Don't think they understand
me. Stop thoughtlessly to look at a cage containing a tree-frog and two
Japanese rats. Proprietor approaches with plate: "This little Jubilee
Menagerie open free to the Public," he says--"we ope the Public will
respond by a similar liberality." Well, well, if I must--but it really
was _not_ worth a penny.

Join a crowd: a conjuror--good, I am fond of conjuring. Conjuror now
going to introduce his "celebrated and favourite Shell-trick." Crowd
very obligingly make way for me--capital place in front row. Conjuror
takes a large Nautilus shell. I have never seen this trick--it looks a
good one.... It appears this is his way of making a collection--he comes
to me first. He is sure, he says (he is an impudent dog), that I shall
feel hurt if he passes _me_ over. No change. He begs me not to get
flurried--sooner than deprive me of the pleasure of patronising him,
_he_ will give me change--he does. This is the end of the performance.
Singular how depressed I feel by this petty incident. Blazers in great
force on the sands. Teasing half-offended nursemaids, playing penny
"nap" on newspapers, or lying in pits scooped out of sand, with their
heads on the laps of th