ON somewhere says, Session comes but Members
linger. Not forty present when business commenced. "May as well go
on." said the SPEAKER, whom everybody glad to see looking brisk and
hearty after his holiday. "They'll drop in by-and-by."

So they did, but without evidence of overmastering haste or
enthusiasm. Only half-dozen questions on paper; very early got to
business in Committee on Indian Councils Bill; supposed to be measure
involving closest interests of the great empire that CLIVE helped to
make, and SEYMOUR KEAY now looks after. Appearance of House suggestive
rather of some local question affecting Isle of Sheppey or Romney
Marsh. Below Gangway, on Ministerial side, only MACLEAN present.
Member for Oldham a sizeable man, but seemed a little lost in space.
Above Gangway RICHARD TEMPLE on guard. Prince ARTHUR and GEORGIE
CURZON had Treasury Bench all to themselves. Opportunity for observing
how cares of office are beginning to tell on GEORGE. Growing quite
staid in manner, the weight of India adding gravity to his looks,
sicklying his young face o'er with pale cast of thought. Pretty to
see him blush to-night when SEYMOUR KEAY made graceful allusion to
his genius and statesmanlike conduct of affairs. "Approbation from Sir
HUBERT STANLEY," as he later observed, "is praise indeed."

[Illustration: "So-and-So."]

Only sign of life and movement displayed below and above Gangway
opposite. SCHWANN evidently in running for BRADLAUGH's vacant place
as Member for India. Fortunate in finding a party brimful of energy,
enthusiasm, eloquence, and encyclopaedic knowledge--MORTON, SEYMOUR
KEAY, SAM SMITH, JULIUS 'ANNIBAL PICTON, SWIFT MACNEILL, and the CURSE
OF CAMBORNE, who has been as far East as the Cape, and therefore knows
all about India.

Some Members looking across the waste place behind MACLEAN whilst
he was delivering vigorous speech, thought of poor LEWIS PELLY, who
really knew something about India, and therefore would probably not
have spoken had he been here to-night. A kindly, courteous, upright,
valiant gentleman, who took a little too seriously the joke House had
with him about the Mombasa business. Everyone recalls his luminous
speech on the question, with its graphic description of forced marches
"from So-and-so to So-on," dubious nights by night "from Etcetera to
So-forth."

PELLY was with us when the House adjourned. In recess he, too, has
made a forced march, passing from the ordinary So-on into the un