At once he was seen to rush excitedly from the House.
Every Irishman knew at once that he was going to the library to
reinforce his memory with regard to the date of Mitchelstown. A murmur
arose on the Irish Benches; slips of paper were passed up to Mr. Dillon
to recall to him the facts of the case; but, either in the hurry and
excitement, or because he did not appreciate the situation immediately,
Mr. Dillon went on with his speech--unconscious of the abyss that opened
up before him. Meantime, Mr. Chamberlain--pale, excited, his face torn
with the workings of gratified hatred and coming triumph--sat forward in
his seat, his eyeglass shining from afar, eagerness in every look, pose,
movement.
[Sidenote: Chamberlain pounces.]
At last Mr. Russell was back in his place; it did not require much
second sight to see that his quest had been successful, and that he had
brought to Mr. Chamberlain the ammunition he required in order to slay
John Dillon. The moment Mr. Dillon sat down, Mr. Chamberlain was on his
feet. He worked up to the situation with some skill; but, after all,
with that overdone passion which, as I have already said, spoils some of
his greatest effects--he did not expose the mistake in his first few
sentences.
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