The Married Women’s Property Act--The Opening of Parliament--Changes in the Cabinet--Arrest of Suspects in Dublin--Invincibles on their Trial--Evidence of the Informer Carey--Carey’s Fate--The Forster-Parnell Incident--National Gift to Mr. Parnell--The Affirmation Bill--The Bankruptcy and other Bills--Mr. Childers’ Budget--The Corrupt Practices Bill--The “Farmers’ Friends”--Sir Stafford Northcote’s Leadership--The Bright Celebration--Dynamite Outrages in London--The Explosives Act--M. de Lesseps and Mr. Gladstone--Blunders in South Africa--The Ilbert Bill--The Attack on Lady Florence Dixie’s House--Death of John Brown--His Career and Character--The Queen and the Consumption of Lamb--A Dull Holiday at Balmoral--Capsizing of the _Daphne_--Prince Albert Victor made K.G.--France and Madagascar--Arrest of Rev. Mr. Shaw--Settlement of the Dispute--Progress of the National League--Orange and Green Rivalry--The Leeds Conference--“Franchise First”--Lord Salisbury and the Housing of the Poor--Mr. Besant and East London--“Slumming”--Hicks Pasha’s Disastrous Expedition in the Soudan--Mr. Gladstone on Jam 652 CHAPTER XXVII. GENERAL GORDON’S MISSION. Success of the Mahdi--Difficult Position of the Ministers--Their Egyptian Policy--General Gordon sent out to the Soudan--Baker Pasha’s Forces Defeated--Sir S. Northcote’s Vote of Censure--The Errors on Both Sides--Why not a Protectorate?--Gordon in Khartoum--Zebehr, “King of the Slave-traders”--Attacks on Gordon--Osman Digna Twice Defeated--Treason in Khartoum--Gordon’s Vain Appeals--Financial Position of Egypt--Abortive Conference of the Powers--Vote of Credit--The New Speaker--Mr. Bradlaugh _Redivivus_--Mr. Childers’ Budget--The Coinage Bill--The Reform Bill--Household Franchise for the Counties--Carried in the Commons--Thrown Out in the Lords--Agitation in the Country--The Autumn Session--“No Surrender”--Compromise--The Franchise Bill Passed--The Nile Expedition--Murder of Colonel Stewart and Mr. Frank Power--Lord Northbrook’s Mission--Ismail Pasha’s Claims--The “Scramble for Africa”--Coolness with Germany--The Angra Pequena Dispute--Bismarck’s Irritation--Queensland and New Guinea--Death of Lord Hertford--The Queen’s New Book--Death of the Duke of Albany--Character and Career of the Prince--The Claremont Estate--The Queen at Darmstadt--Marriage of the Princess Victoria of Hesse--A Gloomy Season--The Health Exhibition--The Queen and the Parliamentary Deadlock--The Abyssinian Envoys at Osborne--Prince George of Wales made K.G.--The Court at Balmoral--Mr. Gladstone’s Visit to the Queen 671 CHAPTER XXVIII. THE NEW DEPARTURE.