mittee having agreed that Question
be put, nothing to do but put it, and here was RASCH bubbling over
with speech. Chairman on his feet peremptorily signalling Major to
sit down; Members near him tugged at his coat-tails; those further off
frantically wave deprecatory hands. Major stood to his guns; shouts of
"Name! Name!" Chairman, desperately pegging away, succeeded in putting
Question, being money-vote for Navy. Major by this time hauled down in
his seat. Up again, like Jack out of box. Chairman also on his feet,
putting next vote; hubbub tremendous; Major's lips observed in motion;
not an articulate syllable rose above uproar.

[Illustration: On the Stroke of Twelve; or, Cinderella Balfour!]

Meanwhile Chairman had dexterously put and run through supplementary
vote for Excess of Expenditure; friends near him had got the
catapultic Major down again, in time to hear Chairman declare "the
Ayes have it!" Major up again. "Order! order!" shouted the Chairman.
"Question: is----" Not quite clear amid uproar what question was;
something to do with Army. Anyhow, there was STANHOPE standing at
table discussing Army Votes. Major again on his feet, his moustache
twitching with astonishment. STANHOPE a peculiarly painful
circumstance; all very well for good Conservative to gird against
Government, and jostle Mr. G.'s Chairman of Committees; different
(especially for a Major in the Militia) to struggle with Statesman
who had been Secretary of State for War on his own side. So Major,
defiantly glaring round House slowly dropped into his seat:--"dying
with all his music in him," as JUSTIN MCCARTHY, who knows the poets,
said. But what was the tune he meditated? What is the secret of this
unspoken speech?

_Business done._--Money voted for Naval men. Halt cried on Army Vote.

_Friday._--RASCH broken out again; turns up as usual at critical
moment. Committee of Supply adjourned at ten minutes to seven; sharp
at seven morning sitting must be suspended. Report of Supply under
consideration; only tremulous ten minutes to get through it. RASCH
resolved, now or never, to finish the speech he commenced yesterday.
House, after protest, settles down to listen. Seems KAY SHUTTLEWORTH
been "saying things" about the warrior. "He behaved towards me,"
said the Major, "in a manner that would be brusque on the part of
Providence addressing a black beetle." House undecided as to which
simile more happily bestowed. On the whole, agreed more polite