cornful aspect, while Lord George
slowly advanced (for the press was great about him) towards the spot
where they were standing.

He had left the House of Commons but that moment, and had come straight
down into the Hall, bringing with him, as his custom was, intelligence
of what had been said that night in reference to the Papists, and what
petitions had been presented in their favour, and who had supported
them, and when the bill was to be brought in, and when it would be
advisable to present their own Great Protestant petition. All this he
told the persons about him in a loud voice, and with great abundance
of ungainly gesture. Those who were nearest him made comments to each
other, and vented threats and murmurings; those who were outside the
crowd cried, 'Silence,' and Stand back,' or closed in upon the rest,
endeavouring to make a forcible exchange of places: and so they came
driving on in a very disorderly and irregular way, as it is the manner
of a crowd to do.

When they were very near to where the secretary, Sir John, and Mr
Haredale stood, Lord George turned round and, making a few remarks of
a sufficiently violent and incoherent kind, concluded with the usual
sentiment, and called for three cheers to back it. While these were in
the act of being given with great energy, he extricated himself from
the press, and stepped up to Gashford's side. Both he and Sir John being
well known to the populace, they fell back a little, and left the four
standing together.

'Mr Haredale, Lord George,' said Sir John Chester, seeing that the
nobleman regarded him with an inquisitive look. 'A Catholic gentleman
unfortunately--most unhappily a Catholic--but an esteemed acquaintance
of mine, and once of Mr Gashford's. My dear Haredale, this is Lord
George Gordon.'

'I should have known that, had I been ignorant of his lordship's
person,' said Mr Haredale. 'I hope there is but one gentleman in England
who, addressing an ignorant and excited throng, would speak of a large
body of his fellow-subjects in such injurious language as I heard this
moment. For shame, my lord, for shame!'

'I cannot talk to you, sir,' replied Lord George in a loud voice, and
waving his hand in a disturbed and agitated manner; 'we have nothing in
common.'

'We have much in common--many things--all that the Almighty gave us,'
said Mr Haredale; 'and common charity, not to say common sense and
common decency, should teach you to refrain from these proc