The worst didn't befall till midnight approached. But things in immediate neighbourhood of TANNER been seething for some time. His topographical position a little trying. Faced by triumphant majority of anti-Home-Rulers, distinctly seeing on Treasury Bench two BALFOURS where formerly only one had sat, he was irritated by having on his flank the REDMOND _frères_, HARRINGTON, CLANCY and other compatriots almost worse than SAXONS, not to mention the pain to a man of peace of consciousness that between his friends and colleagues TIM HEALY and JOHN DILLON there was something lacking in the way of perfect loving-kindness. Then there was BOANERGES RUSSELL on the Treasury Bench. Bad enough to have had him sitting on corner of top bench immediately opposite. To see him curling up his legs on Treasury Bench, one of Her Majesty's Ministers, drawing a salary quarterly with regulation and despatch, was more than a humble but patriotic medical practitioner could stand. "T. W. RUSSELL!" cried TANNER, with fine irony, and bold disregard of Parliamentary usage, which forbids mention of Members by name. The observation was by way of postscript to inquiry as to whether the Government really intend to try and prevent the murder of any more missionaries in China, and bring in an Irish Land Bill? [Illustration: A Piece of Crown-Derby Ware! Design for Bemrose-and-Drage Ornament for the Chimney-piece. No publican's parlour should be without this charming memento of a great victory.] No satisfaction forthcoming on these points. TANNER sat and brooded by the hour over fresh wrongs of Ireland, complicated by these proceedings in China. It was HARRINGTON who accidentally and unintentionally dropped the spark which, as a Member once observed, let slip the dogs of war. "That's a lie!" remarked TANNER, by way of criticising one of HARRINGTON'S statements. Remark made in quite ordinary way; just as if he had been moved to say "How d' you do?" or, "It's a fine day." Friends and countrymen sitting near not in slightest degree disturbed. Only TANNER'S way. HARRINGTON, in fact, had commenced next sentence, when voice of long-suffering SPEAKER heard, inquiring whether he had heard aright, one Member accusing another of being a liar?