Gladstone, there was a triumphant
rejoinder from the Liberal and Home Rule Benches. Austen Chamberlain,
excited, nervous, angered, flitted to and fro in the attempt to gather
forces to defend his absent parent. At last Mr. Courtney took up his
case. There was not very much in what he said, and while he was speaking
Mr. Chamberlain entered the House. He was pale, excited, and unnerved.
He endeavoured to carry the whole thing by a jauntiness which was too
easy to see through. Mr. Courtney had been waving furiously a telegram
towards the Speaker, and asked that he might have the privilege of
reading it. Austen Chamberlain snatched the telegram from Mr. Courtney,
and gave it to his father just as he had taken his seat. Mr. Chamberlain
had not a moment to spare; he had just time to glance at the contents of
the telegram when he rose to speak, and all he did was to read the
telegram, which was a confirmation by Mr. Duignan of the general
accuracy of the previous evening. This was a score for Joe, and his
friends were delighted to recover something of their lost spirit.
[Mr. Conybeare and the Speaker.]
Mr. Conybeare had written a letter to the _Chronicle_ denouncing the
Speaker.
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