Through nearly hour and half the Squire mourned and jibed, Prince
ARTHUR listening attentively, all unconscious of the Shades hovering
about the historic seat in which he lounged, as nearly as possible,
at full length--OLD MORALITY, kindly generous, pleased in another's
prosperity; STAFFORD NORTHCOTE, marvelling at the madness of a world
he has not been loth to quit; DIZZY tickled with the whole situation,
though perhaps a little shocked to see a Leader of the House resting
apparently on his shoulder-blades in the seat where from 1874 to
1876 there posed an upright statuesque figure with folded arms and
mask-like face, lit up now and then by the gleam of eyes that saw
everything whilst they seemed to be looking no whither. PAM was there,
too, with slightly raised eyebrows as they fell on the youthful form
already installed in a place he had not reached till he was almost
twice the age of the newcomer. JOHNNY RUSSELL, scowled at the intruder
under a hat a-size-and-half too big for his legs. CANNING looked on,
and thought of his brief tenure of the same place whilst the
century was young. Still further in the shade PITT joined the group.
[Illustration: "THE COMING OF ARTHUR."

Shade of Pam. "H'M! A LITTLE YOUNG FOR THE PART,--DON'T YOU THINK?"

Shade of Dizzy. "WELL, YES! _WE_ HAD TO WAIT FOR IT A GOOD MANY
YEARS!--BUT I THINK HE'LL DO!!"]

"Well at least _he_ was even younger when he came to our place," PAM
whispered in DIZZY's ear, startling him as he inadvertently touched
his cheek with the straw he still seems to hold in his teeth, as he
did when JOHN LEECH was alive.