Poor Mrs. T. could bear no more, But fainted flat upon the floor. Mamma-in-law, with anguish wild, Seeks, all in vain, to rouse her child. “Quick! Take this box of smelling-salts! Don’t scold her, James, or you’ll repent it, She’s a _dear_ girl, with all her faults——” “She _is_!” groaned Tottles (and he meant it). “I was a donkey,” Tottles cried, “To choose your daughter for my bride! ’Twas _you_ that bid us cut a dash! ’Tis _you_ have brought us to this smash! You don’t suggest one single thing That can in any way prevent it—— Then what’s the use of arguing? _Shut up!_” cried Tottles (and he meant it). Once more I started into wakefulness, and realised that Mein Herr was not the singer. He was still consulting his memoranda. “It is exactly what my friend told me,” he resumed, after conning over various papers. “‘_Unpatriotic_’ is the very word I had used, in writing to him, and ‘_hinder_’ is the very word he used in his reply! Allow me to read you a portion of his letter:—— “‘_I can assure you_,’ he writes, ‘_that, unpatriotic as you may think it, the recognised function of the ‘Opposition’ is to hinder, in every manner not forbidden by the Law, the action of the Government. This process is called ‘Legitimate Obstruction’: and the greatest triumph the ‘Opposition’ can ever enjoy, is when they are able to point out that, owing to their ‘Obstruction’, the Government have failed in everything they have tried to do for the good of the Nation!_’” “Your friend has not put it _quite_ correctly,” I said. “The Opposition would no doubt be glad to point out that the Government had failed _through their own fault_; but _not_ that they had failed on account of _Obstruction_!” “You think so?” he gently replied. “Allow me now to read to you this newspaper-cutting, which my friend enclosed in his letter. It is part of the report of a public speech, made by a Statesman who was at the time a member of the ‘Opposition’:— “‘_At the close of the Session, he thought they had no reason to be discontented with the fortunes of the campaign. They had routed the enemy at every point. But the pursuit must be continued. They had only to follow up a disordered and dispirited foe._’” “Now to what portion of your national history would you guess that the speaker was referring?” “Really, the number of _successful_ wars we have waged during the last century,” I replied, with a glow of British pride, “is _far_ too great for me to guess, with any chance of success, _which_ it was we were then engaged in. However, I will name ‘_India_’ as the most probable. The Mutiny was no doubt, all but crushed, at the time that speech was made. What a fine, manly, _patriotic_ speech it must have been!” I exclaimed in an outburst of enthusiasm.