Mr. Gladstone had evidently made up his mind that
this was the situation he would have to face, and played his last, his
supreme, his desperate card. You could see that he himself felt that
this was the kind of card he was playing from his look as he played it.
There was outward calmness in the face, there was the same evenness of
tone in the voice; he built up his case with the same unbroken command
of his language and ideas as is his usual characteristic. His statement
of his position was admirable in its lucidity, its temper, and its
courage. But he was excited. Just as he rose up, Sir William Harcourt
jumped up, and in a state of impatience and excitement that was
palpable, asked for something. It was a glass of water for Mr.
Gladstone. The glass of water was brought in; it was put in front of Mr.
Gladstone; he sipped it just as he was about to start on his perilous
oratorical voyage, and then, clearing his throat, he made the fateful
announcement which possibly was to wreck his measure and himself. And
the statement came to this: If the Government were defeated, it would be
by a combination of different parties, but they would all agree in
supporting 103 as against 80 Irish members; and if they did that, why
the House was master.
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