mitten with awe. He could not
trust himself to speak of the brilliant oration they had just listened
to. Harvey followed up the debate by defending the right of freedom of
action and freedom of speech all round.

"What business is it of these members of Parliament to interfere with
what people think or say? I say 'no business at all.' Why, they tell me
that when Bradlaugh beat them and took his seat and defied them, the
Tories flocked round him and said: 'Bradlaugh, we're glad to see you in
this honourable House, and congratulate you as one of ourselves.' Now
there was brazen hypocrisy for you; and what do you think he said in
reply? He stood up and said: 'Gentlemen, I know you of old, but I'm not
going to be sucked in by any of your snakish ways.' Wasn't that fine?"

"Where did you hear that?" said Cowan.

"I saw'd in the papers; it's all right," said Harvey.

"Yes, and what's more," said Cowan, "I saw that Bradlaugh had become
very popular with everybody, and the Tories said he was a rare good
sort."

"Then I don't believe it," said Harvey.

"But I tell you I saw'd in the papers."

"Well," said Cowan, "if you hadn't telled me that, I wouldn't have
believed it."

"But I'm telling ye," said Harvey; "and what is more, there's
Labouchere: he's a queer 'un. He has a paper they call _Truth_, and he
writes all about the Queen and the aristocracy. He knows everything
about them, and doesn't care a damn for anybody. He's been had up for
libel many a time, but that never makes any difference. He goes on
worse. They call him a Radical. He belongs to that lot that wants
everything for themselves."

"But what about them Prussians wantin' to steal Denmark? What do you
call that but cowardly work; and had it not been that Austria, the
other bully, came to their assistance, the little Danes had the
Prussians by the throat, and then, like all bullies, they fell out
about the spoil and began to fight among themselves. No wonder that the
Germans are hated; everybody liked the Danes. And where was your
England then? Was she frightened of Von Bismarck? Yes, I says; yes! Was
Palmerston frightened of him or of all the Prussians in the world? No,
certainly not! He said: 'Gentlemen, let us draw the sword for the
father of the Princess of Wales'; but these great Christian members of
Parliament that you've been talking about so much said: 'No, we'll
fight for nobody but ourselves.' Where is your Waterloo, your Corunna
and Balaclava