fashion of clothing he assumed ways more compatible with the position of
a responsible statesman.

At last, after long struggle, he stood on safe ground. But the fight was
not over yet. The personal antipathy and distrust with which he was
regarded in Tory circles were unabated. He had proved an invaluable
auxiliary in the battle against Free Trade; but having defeated PEEL the
Protectionists did not want any more of DISRAELI. His old friend, Sir
GEORGE BENTINCK, whose patronage had been invaluable as investing him
with an air of respectability, stood by him to the last. Resigning the
post of Leader of the Protectionists, he nominated DISRAELI as his
successor. The Tory rank and file would have none of him. Lord STANLEY,
acknowledged leader of the Party in the House of Lords and the country,
hesitated and chaffered, in the end reluctantly giving in. Something of
the same thing happened when, six years later, STANLEY, now succeeded to
the earldom of Derby, formed an Administration and proposed to make
DIZZY Chancellor of the Exchequer and Leader of the House of Commons.
Among the most strenuous objectors to the proposal was QUEEN VICTORIA.
But DISRAELI was invincible because he was indispensable. How
courageously and with what matchless skill he fought against
overwhelming odds, and won the day, is a fascinating story that in the
skilled hands of Mr. BUCKLE loses no point of interest.

* * * * *

Captain HARRY GRAHAM is one of the authors whose work I never argue
about. If, as has happened occasionally, I meet those who do not find
him amusing, I conceal my own personal opinion that, with the possible
exception of Mr. STEPHEN LEACOCK, he is the most rollickingly funny
person at present writing the King's English; but now, being in a
position to air my private views without fear of contradiction, I make
the statement boldly, and put, in as Exhibit A of my evidence, _The
Complete Sportsman_ (ARNOLD). Like other earlier volumes from the same
source it is compiled from the occasional papers of _Reginald Drake
Biffin_, and the sportsman who tries to get on without it is positively
courting disaster. The first thing he knows, he will be talking to
well-informed people about a flock of sparrows or a covey of weasels,
and their quiet smiles will show him that he has been guilty of a
ludicrous blunder. If he had read his _Biffin_ he would have known that
the correct terms are a "susurration of sp