everyone's tongue has not passed his lips. When,
a fortnight ago, Mr. G. diplomatically approached topic, the Prince,
with charmingly puzzled look, talked of something else. Nearest
approach he can bring himself to make to topic, is to refer to
arrangements of public business. This afternoon, when he stood at
Table, a ringing cheer went up from serried hosts of Ministerialists;
answered by closed-up ranks of Opposition. "Ha! ha!" said STUART,
scenting the battle from afar, "that is the first challenge and
reply in the great fight. Soon as BALFOUR's finished I shall take the
Shoreditch 'bus, and look up my Constituents at Hoxton."

Prince ARTHUR, with eyebrows slightly raised, stood waiting for
opportunity to speak; evidently marvelling at this unwonted and
unaccountable outburst of clamour. When it ceased, he observed, quite
incidentally, that perhaps it would be convenient for him to make a
statement "as to prospects of concluding business before termination
of the Session." The Session, note. Not the life of Parliament, nor
anything to do with so disturbing a thing as Dissolution. Kept this
up through long business statement; only at conclusion accidentally
stumbled on the word, and then regarded the prospect as so
uninteresting and immaterial, that he could not come nearer to its
contemplation than an interval of seven days. Not before the end
of one week, and not after the middle of another, was as near as he
thought it worth while to approach such trifling contingency.

_Business done._--A great deal.

_Tuesday._--Quite touching to observe SQUIRE OF MALWOOD's friendly
interest in progress of public Bills. GORST, in arranging business
of Sitting, anxious not to appear too grasping, put down only limited
number of Bills on Orders. "Why not put down all you've got?" the
Squire asks, with mildly benevolent glance bent on Treasury Bench.
"Supposing list is run through, there is end of your opportunity;
whereas, if you put 'em all down you're ready to benefit by any
accident, and may some night do wonderful stroke of business, working
everything off."

[Illustration: MR. GLADSTONE has addressed a letter to the
Press:--"SIR,--The requests addressed to me by Liberal friends ... for
personal visits, speeches, and letters have at this juncture become so
numerous that it is impossible to reply to them,... or to do more than
to assure them that my time and thoughts are incessantly applied to
the best mode I can devise to