But neither "Independent" nor humorous would the partisan Press allow me to be. Certainly I was applauded by some for having held steadfastly to my prophecy, despite temptations which would have made Cassandra succumb. I was flattered by being held up as an exception among the prophets. From Mr. Gladstone to Mr. T. P. O'Connor politicians had prophesied and were hopelessly wide of the mark. Mr. Chamberlain, speaking at Birmingham that week, said, "The gravity of the weighty man of the House of Commons, gentlemen, is a thing to which there is no parallel in the world," and oh! so serious! [Illustration: THE GOVERNMENT--BENCH BEFORE HOME RULE. A rough Sketch made in the House. Mr. W. E. Foster. Mr. Gladstone. Mr. John Bright. Lord E. Fitzmaurice. Lord Hartington.] "Prophets--at any rate political prophets--are chiefly distinguished from other people by being always dull and nearly always wrong. To-day, however, appears a brilliant exception to the almost universal rule," wrote one paper, and yet continued, "Mr. Furniss is simply within his own ground as one of the shrewdest and best trained of living observers, when he describes the newly-elected House of Commons as thoroughly discontented with itself. But we wish that Mr. Furniss had carried his prediction into the regions of counsel, and had been able to read in 'Mr. Gladstone's collars,' or in the 'unknown quantity of Sir William Harcourt's chins,' and whatever else serves him for his Stars, what is to be the outcome of a situation in which no party is able to obtain a working majority. If Mr. Furniss is right, the question of 'how is the Queen's Government to be carried on?' will assume a practical importance which it never had before; and unless he himself, as a thoroughly non-party man, can be induced to undertake the formation of an administration of similarly fortunate persons, one does not see what is to be done. Party government is based upon big majorities--it is within measurable distance of breaking down altogether unless the country will make up its mind to stand no more nonsense, and to prefer what is really a party to a conglomerate of fads and factions." I was beginning to feel like a man who had started a story and forgotten the point of it. The only "comic relief" was the following note from the Editor of _Punch_: _21st July, 1892. "_Vates et Vox Stellarum._ "Dear H. F.,--'Respectability and aspirants.' Didn't you squirm at the misprint? Is that setter-up-of-type still alive? Je m'en doute. The reference to Harcourt's _chins_ will _get you liked_ very much. You dated it from the Garrick, but you didn't put the time of night when you wrote it. 'P.S.'--_Post Supperal_, eh? "Farewell, O Prophet!--but 'why _didn't you say so before_?' "Allah il Allah Ari Furniss is His Prophet! "Yours ever,