I
happened to stand at a point of the House where I saw Mr. Carson from
profile as he was speaking. He had just got to the point where, with a
hoarse and deep note in his usually cold voice, he said to Mr. Morley
that if the Chief Secretary would move the omission of all the
"safeguards" from the Bill, he would vote along with him. There was a
tone almost of ferocity--the tone which conveyed all the rage and
despair of the Ascendency party in Ireland at the prospect of departing
power--the fury of the Castle official that saw the approaching
overthrow of all the powerful citadel of fraud and cruelty and wrong, of
which he had been one of the chief pillars. And as Mr. Carson was
uttering these words, I saw his profile--which often reveals more of
men's natures than the front face.
[Sidenote: A curious reminiscence.]
I suppose I shall be considered very fantastic--but do you know what I
thought of at that very moment? Some years ago, I stood at Epsom close
to the ropes and saw Fred Archer pass me as he swept like the whirlwind
to the winning-post in the last Derby he ever rode. Between Mr. Carson
and Mr. Fred Archer, especially in the profile, there is a certain and
even a close resemblance; the same long lantern face, the same sunken
cheeks, the same prominent mouth, the same skin dark as the gipsy's.
Pages:
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220