_House of Commons, Monday, February 8_.--The coming of Prince ARTHUR
anxiously looked for as Members gathered for last Session of a
memorable Parliament. When, in August last, he, with the rest of us,
went away, OLD MORALITY still sat in Leader's place. He was, truly,
just then absent in the flesh, already wasting with the dire disease
that carried him off. It was JOKIM who occupied the place of Leader;
Prince ARTHUR, content to sit lower down. It seemed to some that when
vacancy occurred JOKIM, that veteran Child of Promise, would step in,
and younger men wait their turn. But youth of certain quality must
come to the front, as BONAPARTE testified even before he went to
Italy, and as PITT showed when the Rockingham Administration went to
pieces.
Prince ARTHUR came in shortly after four o'clock. House full,
especially on Opposition Benches; faint blush suffused ingenuous cheek
as welcoming cheer arose. Seemed to know his way to Leader's place,
and took it naturally. Pretty to see JOKIM drop in on one side of
him with MATTHEWS on the other, buttressing him about with financial
reputation and legal erudition. _Tableau_ quite undesigned, but none
the less effective. Prince ARTHUR, young, hot-tempered and, though not
without parts, prone to commit errors of judgment. But with JOKIM at
his left shoulder, and HENRY MATTHEWS at his right, humble citizens
looking on from opposite Benches, felt a sweet content. On such a
basis, the Constitution might stand any blast.
In absence of Mr. G., who still dallies with the sunshine of Riviera,
SQUIRE OF MALWOOD, fresh from hunting in the New Forest, more than
fills the place of Leader of Opposition. A favourable opportunity for
distinguishing himself marred by accidental prevalence of funereal
associations.
"The Squire," said PLUNKET--watching him as, with legs reverently
crossed, and elbow sympathisingly resting on box, carefully
suggestive of life-sized figure of tombstone-mourner, he intoned his
lamentation--"is not fitted for the part, and consequently overdoes
it. _L'Allegro_ is his line. _Il Penseroso_ does not suit him."
Everyone glad when, sermon over, and the black-edged folios put aside,
the Squire began business. Happy enough in his attack on JOKIM, always
a telling subject in present House of Commons.
"He is," says SAGE OF QUEEN ANNE'S GATE, drawing upon his theatrical
experiences, "like the Policeman in the Pantomime; always safe for a
roar of laughter if you bonnet him or trip him up over the doorstep."
For the rest, as Prince ARTHUR pointed out when he came to reply,
Squire's speech had very little to do with the Address, on which
it was ostensibly based. Couldn't resist temptation of enlarging on
financial science for the edification of the unhappy JOKIM.
"Finance," observed DICKY TEMPLE, "is HARCOURT's foible."
"Yes," said JENNINGS, whom everyone is glad to see back in better
health, "and funeral sermons are his forte."
Through nearly hour and half the Squire mourned and jibed, Prince
ARTHUR listening attentively, all unconscious of the Shades hovering
about the historic seat in which he lounged, as nearly as possible,
at full length--OLD MORALITY, kindly generous, pleased in another's
prosperity; STAFFORD NORTHCOTE, marvelling at the madness of a world
he has not been loth to quit; DIZZY tickled with the whole situation,
though perhaps a little shocked to see a Leader of the House resting
apparently on his shoulder-blades in the seat where from 1874 to
1876 there posed an upright statuesque figure with folded arms and
mask-like face, lit up now and then by the gleam of eyes that saw
everything whilst they seemed to be looking no whither. PAM was there,
too, with slightly raised eyebrows as they fell on the youthful form
already installed in a place he had not reached till he was almost
twice the age of the newcomer. JOHNNY RUSSELL, scowled at the intruder
under a hat a-size-and-half too big for his legs. CANNING looked on,
and thought of his brief tenure of the same place whilst the
century was young. Still further in the shade PITT joined the group.
[Illustration: "THE COMING OF ARTHUR."