I hear a smile pass over the face of the Right Hon. Gentleman."
Jackson kind-hearted fellow; deeply touched at his chief's heroic self-denial. "You leave it to me," he whispered, as they left Jokim's room and strolled off to Treasury Bench.
Just before Jokim rose to commence Budget Speech Jackson came in carrying tumblerful of dark liquid; might be extract of walnut, printer's ink, anything equally innoxious. Jokim saw it, and recognised the '51 Port.
"Jackson," he whispered, tremulously, "you shouldn't do it; but since you will, leave the bottle on the chimbley-piece, and don't ask me to take none, but let me put my lips to it when I am so dispoged, and then I will do what I am engaged to do according to the best of my ability."
No chimbley-piece handy. So Jackson cunningly tucked away the tumbler in among the Blue Books and papers where it innocently rested till Jokim, well under way with speech, and feeling round for notes upset it; agonised glance as the ruby fluid ran over the unresponsive table on to the heedless floor. Heartless persons opposite tittered.
"I hear a smile pass over the face of the Right Hon. Gentleman," said Jokim, fixing glance somewhat venomously on Harcourt. House burst into roar of laughter. Jackson took advantage of diversion to mop up spilled Port with blotting-paper. Only Grand Cross in Peers' Gallery, sat stern and unresponsive.
"I call that pretty mean, Toby," he said, talking it over afterwards. "It was I who first saw the smile in House of Commons. My greatest oratorical success; and here comes Jokim, coolly appropriates it, and House laughs as if it were quite new!" Never saw Grand Cross so terribly angry. Jokim will have bad quarter of an hour when they meet. Business done.—Budget brought in.
Friday.—Bi-metallism the matter to-night. Sam Smith brings on attractive subject in one of those terse, polished, pregnant orations for which he is famous. Nevertheless, the few Members present yawn. Old Morality—"nothing if not man of business"—finds topic irresistible. Whilst subject caviare to the General (Goldsworthy and others), seems matter of life and death to a select half-dozen; these glare at each other across House, as if arguments advanced pro and con. affected their private character. Prince Arthur plunges in; declares in favour of Bi-metallism; Irish Members share common ignorance on subject; but this settles them; go out in body to vote for Mono-metallism; Sam Smith's Motion for Conference negatived by 183 votes against 87.
