"Oh, I'm glad you've got a Piano in the Rooms! What is it?—a Broadwood?"
"No, Mum. Myogh'ny!"
ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.
EXTRACTED FROM THE DIARY OF TOBY, M.P.
House of Commons, Monday, April 22.—Easter holidays over; school back; new master in charge; process of installation a little lacking in pomp and circumstance. This due in large measure to incidence of holiday. At Westminster, as at other schools, boys don't insist, vi et armis, on returning on the opening day. Wide gaps on most of the benches; Front Opposition Bench a wilderness. Prince Arthur and all his merrie men abstained from lending to installation of new Speaker the grace and comfort of their presence.
"It is quite true, dear boy," Prince Arthur said, when I gently hinted that the Leader of Opposition should have been present on such occasion, "that when our man was defeated I said, Mr. William Court Gully having been elected by a majority of the House, is representative of the whole House. But it's a long name, you know, and in ordinary practice I must stop short at William. You can't expect me to Court Gully."
Amid depressing circumstances as far as attendance went, new Speaker bore himself faultlessly. Quick-change process watched with breathless interest from Ladies' Gallery. First, Speaker-Elect, preceded by Mace, entered, attired in Court dress with close-fitting bob-wig. At summons of Black Rod, proceeded to House of Lords; placed at Bar in custody of Black Rod and Sergeant-at-Arms; not even "accommodated with a chair." There to receive Her Majesty's sanction of choice of Speaker made by Commons. Happened that the Queen couldn't come. One of the cloaked and wigged figures on Woolsack mentioned the matter in charmingly casual way.
"It not being convenient for Her Majesty to be personally present at this time," said a voice which bewrayed the Lord Chancellor, "a Commission has been issued under the Grand Seal empowering the Lords named therein to convey Royal Assent to Commons' selection of Speaker."