n and many of them."

It was OLD MORALITY who spoke; his kindly face beamed on me; his
friendly hand grasped mine. Walked up the floor together through the old
familiar scene. Benches crowded, though a vacant seat here and there:
HARTINGTON'S for example. Everybody sorry to hear he's been ill, and
glad to think of him enjoying the sunlight of Monte Carlo. Grand Old Man
more Grand and less Old than ever; just up from Oxford; passed very
well, it is said. Comes into Parliament with every prospect of
distinguishing himself; his maiden speech looked for with much interest.

"I think I'll put it off for a month or two, TOBY," he said, blushing
with the ingenuousness of youth. "You see I'm so fresh from college,
that it would ill become me to plunge into public affairs. It's all very
well for a young fellow like me to get up at the Union; but here it's
different. You're very good to say that great things are expected of me;
but, if you please, I'll keep in the background a bit. I'll feel my feet
first, as they used to say in the nursery, in what seems only
yesterweek."

Very nice this of him. Wish all young fellows fresh from the University,
even when they have taken honours, were equally modest.

"Haven't seen you since we met at Greenlands' icy mountains in the
Recess," OLD MORALITY said, continuing our conversation interrupted by
the cheers that greeted our arrival. "You remember how bitterly cold the
day was? Rather thought you hurried away. Wish you could have stayed to
luncheon. We happened to have something succulent. However, you must
come and dine in my room behind the SPEAKER'S Chair; AKERS-DOUGLAS will
show you the way. We do it pretty snug there, I can tell you. What sort
of a Session shall we have? Who can tell? Usual sort of thing, I
suppose. We shall bring in a lot of Bills; Gentlemen opposite will talk
some of them out; at Easter and Whitsuntide Recesses we shall squeeze a
stage of some through, under pressure of the holidays; then three weeks
in June and most of July will be wasted; and in August we'll suspend
Standing Orders, and ram through everything we can. As for me, I shall
endeavour to do my duty to the QUEEN, to the Country, and to the Members
of this House, in whichever part they sit. Did you ever, dear TOBY,
consider how a kettle boils? The water nearest to the fire is first
heated, and (being heated) rises to the top. Its place is supplied by
colder portions, which are heated in turn, and this i