Then uprose the Queen, and vanished, And a hubbub fills the Chamber: Peers take off their robes of velvet; Ladies cover up their shoulders, And the throng is quickly scattered; Yet was very full the chamber-- Full of Lords, and full of strangers, All come down, and feeling curious How the Earl and eke the Marquis Would get on when brought together; Some there were who thought the Marquis Would upon the Earl his back turn; Some who thought the Earl would curl his Upper lip, and snub the Marquis; Others that the Marquis, smarting With the knowledge that he'd been offered Coolly on the Eastern altar, That he had been made a victim; Had been sent to wreck his prestige, 'Mongst the diplomatic breakers, Would dig up the buried hatchet From the _Quarterly's_ shut pages, Would dash down the friendly peace-pipe, And his tomahawk turn wildly On his former foe, Ben Dizzy; But it did not come to pass so, For on Thursday all was quiet, And the Salisburian lion Lay down with the Dizzian lambkin. And the Marquis keeps his vengeance For a more convenient season, If, indeed, he has not hopes still Of a dukedom for his failure. After this they talked for four hours, But the talk meant simply nothing! THE COMMONS. As the "brave" re-seeks his wigwam, Left deserted in the autumn, When the early spring-tide tempts him To return and hunt the bison-- To return and trap the beaver-- To return and scalp the "pale-face"-- To return, in short, and do for Many beasts and birds and fishes; So unto their long-left places, To their worn and padded places, Where they sought for reputation-- Where they strove for loaves and fishes-- Where they hounded down the helpless-- Where they vexèd those in office-- Where they howled and snored and hooted-- Where they quite wore out the Speaker, Harried Adderley and Holker, Tried in vain to draw Ben Dizzy, And gave forth such endless rubbish-- Came the M.P.'s for the Session. Came in state, too, Mr. Speaker With the mace and with his chaplain;-- Gold the mace, and Byng his chaplain; Whereupon did Captain Gossett, In his normal tights and ruffles, "Tile" the door till prayers were over. Thus all present fell to praying, Let us hope they prayed in earnest, For delivery from envy, Spite and malice and Kenealy. Prayed for sense (God knows most want it), Prayed for very frequent count-outs, And for early dissolution. [_Left Praying._