s wont to sit (when he was not depressing one of the tiles
in the rotunda), surrounded by his friends and their tobacco smoke,
discussing in his frank and manly fashion the public questions of the
day.

Mr. Crewe thought it a little strange that, whenever he entered a room
in the Pelican, a silence should succeed the buzz of talk which he had
heard through the closed transom; but he very naturally attributed this
to the constraint which ordinary men would be likely to feel in his
presence. In the mouth of one presumptuous member the word "railroad"
was cut in two by an agate glance from the Honourable Brush, and Mr.
Crewe noted with some surprise that the Democratic leader of the House,
Mr. Painter, was seated on Mr. Botcher's mattress, with an expression
that was in singular contrast to the look of bold defiance which he had
swept over the House that afternoon in announcing his opposition policy.
The vulgar political suggestion might have crept into a more trivial
mind than Mr. Crewe's that Mr. Painter was being, "put to bed," the bed
being very similar to that of Procrustes. Mr. Botcher extracted himself
from the nooks and crannies of his armchair.

"How are you, Crewe?" he said hospitably; "we're all friends here--eh,
Painter? We don't carry our quarrels outside the swinging doors. You
know Mr. Crewe--by sight, of course. Do you know these other gentlemen,
Crewe? I didn't expect you so early."

The "other gentlemen" said that they were happy to make the acquaintance
of their fellow-member from Leith, and seemingly with one consent began
to edge towards the door.

"Don't go, boys," Mr. Bascom protested. "Let me finish that story."

Some of "the boys" seemed to regard this statement as humorous,--more
humorous, indeed, than the story itself. And when it was finished they
took their departure, a trifle awkwardly, led by Mr. Painter.

"They're a little mite bashful," said Mr. Botcher, apologetically.

"How many more of those bills have you got?" demanded Mr. Bascom, from
the steam radiator, with characteristic directness.

"I put 'em all in this morning," said Mr. Crewe, "but I have thought
since of two or three other conditions which might be benefited by
legislation."

"Well," said Mr. Bascom, kindly, "if you have any more I was going to
suggest that you distribute 'em round among the boys. That's the way I
do, and most folks don't guess they're your bills. See?"

"What harm is there in that?" demanded Mr. C