_First W. I. M._ No, it doesn't. It means that they don't start anything till twelve o'clock at night. _Second W. I. M._ (_pityingly_). My dear fellow, where have you been all these years? They _always_ go home on the stroke of midnight now. _First W. I. M._ That's just where you're wrong. Midnight to two in the morning is just jolly well their best time now. _Second W. I. M._ I'll bet you half a thick 'un you're wrong! _First W. I. M._ And I'll bet you half a thick 'un I'm right! [_The argument continues for some minutes in this strain._ _Inquirer._ I wonder if they'll have any obstruction. I should like to see some of that. I believe it's no end amusing. _Second W. I. M._ Oh, you may trust this Opposition for that. Their only notion for employing time is to obstruct everything and everybody. _First W. I. M._ (_with a deadly calmness_). Ah! you call it obstruction, of course, because you want to rush your iniquitous Bills through the House. But you don't think we're going to stand that, do you?--because we're not, and the Country's with us. Just look at Grimsby. _Second W. I. M._ All right! Suppose you look at Cirencester. _First W. I. M._ What do you say to Stockport then? _Second W. I. M._ And what do _you_ say to Walsham and Hexall, and all the rest of them? (_At the suggestion of the_ Average Man, _they abandon this fiery debate. A pause._) _Inquirer._ Who's Speaker now? _First W. I. M._ Sir ROBERT PEEL. _Inquirer._ Will he be there to-night? _First W. I. M._ Of course he will. He's got to be there. _Inquirer._ But then what does the Chairman of Committee do? _First W. I. M._ Oh, ah,--um, let me see; the Chairman of Committee does----(_Brightly._) He's only appointed, you know, when they want a Committee about something. _Second W. I. M._ I fancy he has to read the Bills. _First W. I. M._ (_gathering assurance as he proceeds_). Not when they're read a first time. Somebody else does that--I forget what they call him. The Chairman reads 'em a second time, and takes 'em up to the House of Lords. _Inquirer._ So he does, of course. I ought to have remembered that. But I'd got a sort of notion they didn't really read the Bills at all--just chucked 'em into a bag, and called it a Second Reading. _First W. I. M._ (_condescendingly_). That's how they used to do it about ten years ago; but they had to alter the whole thing after they got BRADLAUGH into the House. _Inquirer._ Why was that? _First W. I. M._ Well, he wouldn't take an oath, you know; so, after that, they altered everything. _Inquirer_ (_with admiration_). By Jove, what a chap you are for recollecting things! [_Terminus._ * * * * * QUEER QUERIES.