[Sidenote: Another unmannerly interruption.]
In the midst of the calm and stately flow of Mr. Asquith's speech, while
the House, spellbound, listened in awe-struck and rapt silence,
suddenly, there was a commotion, a shout, then the roar of many voices.
The whole thing came upon the House with a bewildering and dumbfounding
surprise; it was as if someone had suddenly died, or some other sinister
catastrophe had occurred. In a moment, several Irish members--Mr. Swift
McNeill, Mr. Crilly, and others--were on their feet, shouting in accents
hoarse with anger, inarticulate with rage. The Speaker was also on his
feet, and, for a while, his shouts of "Order! Order!" failed to calm the
sudden, fierce cyclone. Above the din, voices were shouting, "Name!
Name!" with that rancorous and fierce note which the House of Commons
knows so well when passion has broken loose, and all the grim depths of
party hate are revealed. At last, it was discovered that Lord Cranborne
was the culprit, and that when Mr. Asquith, amid universal sympathy and
assent, was alluding to the beautiful speech of Mr. Davitt, this most
unmannerly of cubs had uttered the word, "Murderer.
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