f "Order! Order!" failed to calm the
sudden, fierce cyclone. Above the din, voices were shouting, "Name!
Name!" with that rancorous and fierce note which the House of Commons
knows so well when passion has broken loose, and all the grim depths of
party hate are revealed. At last, it was discovered that Lord Cranborne
was the culprit, and that when Mr. Asquith, amid universal sympathy and
assent, was alluding to the beautiful speech of Mr. Davitt, this most
unmannerly of cubs had uttered the word, "Murderer."

[Sidenote: A whipped hound.]

If he had not been so unspeakably rude, vulgar, odious, and impertinent,
one might have almost felt sympathy for Lord Salisbury's son in the
position in which he found himself. His face is usually pale, but now it
had the deadly, ghastly, and almost green pallor of a man who is
condemned to die. But, amid all the palpable terror, the Cecil insolence
was still there, and Lord Cranborne declared that, though he had used
the phrase, he had not intended it for the House, and that it was true.
Since his relative, Lord Wolmer, made the lamest and meanest apology the
House of Commons had ever heard, there never had been anything to equal
this. The House groaned aloud in disgust and contempt; even his own side
was as abashed as when Brookfield sought to interrupt Mr. Davitt. The
Speaker, quietly, but visibly moved and disgusted, at once told the
insolent young creature that this was not sufficient, and that an
apology was due--to which the Cecil hopeling proceeded to do with as bad
a grace and in as odious a style as it was possible for it to be done.
Mr. Asquith's splendid self-control and mastery of the House bore the
ordeal of even this odious incident, and he wound up the speech with one
of the finest and most remarkable perorations which has ever been heard
in that great assembly. Calm, self-restrained, almost frigid in
delivery, chaste and sternly simple in language, Mr. Asquith's
peroration reached a height that few men could ever attain. The still
House sate with its members raised to their highest point of endurance,
and it was almost a relief when the stately flow came to an end, and men
were able to relieve their pent-up tide of feeling.

CHAPTER IX.

THE END OF A GREAT WEEK.

[Sidenote: Mr. Goschen.]

The Tories were not in good heart at the beginning of the week which saw
the second reading of the Home Rule Bill carried on April 21st, and
perhaps it was owing to thi