"Stop where ye are, Dan Logan," twelve illigant stalls he'll have his was the reply, or I'll shoot," raising choice of-au that's what I'll do for the gun as he spoke. "Not one step ye, Dan, and the gintleman." nearer now! I have me orders, though it's sorry I'd be to kill ye."

"He will not stop here, aven if I have to shoot him. An' it's now ye must be movin' off, Dan Logan." "Is there any inn we could go to ?"theless, though there was nothing to I interposed.

larn you to be a jennet!" and in less the way, I really ought to account it time than it takes to tell it, had backed | good fortune that I was not killed in the obstinate brute through the gate, my drive between Ballylogue and the and was off at score along the highroad.

"If your ladyship 'll only keep that up, it's in time for supper we'll be at Ardleymorne," said Dan cheerily. "But it's rather drivin' ye than ridin' ye I'd be," as her feet rattled from time to time against the driving seat. But her ladyship did not keep it up, and it was not long before she subsided into a lop-sided amble which soon degenerated into a shuffling walk.

Cassel, to say nothing of the emergeucy-man having twice missed me at a range of less than thirty yards). "It's deloighted the widdy would have been to give yer honor a room, but she has but the one empty, and her brother is in that, and his wife, and his wife's sister, and their children, havin' come over for the Chrismassing, so the house is throng, there wouldn't be a spot, she says, for yer honor to stand up on in it; an' the room under the stair is "Look at that now!" cried Dan full wid their pigs as they're brought admiringly; "if she hasn't lamed her-along. Anny other time that yer self kickin' agin the middle sate, and I honor's passin', she sez, she'll· sittin' on the side! Isn't she as cunning as a pictur? I'll go bail but she's cast a shoe. Thrue for me," he added from the road, after picking up the jennct's feet at the imminent peril of his life," but it's three and not the one she's thrown. It's the Widdy Flinch that'll have to stand yer honor's friend to-night. If we was to go all night wid this three-cornered shoe-slinger, it's no nearer we'd be to Ardleymorne in the mornin'."

"And who is the Widow Flinch? And how far off does she live?" I inquired, mentally blessing my friend Terence for the plight in which he had landed me.

“And what do you think we'd better do now?" I inquired, with a calmness born of despair.

“'Deed, then, we must just thry and make Micky Sullivan's — it's a matther of four miles but if yer honor 'll be guided by me for onst," he added, suddenly brightening with a happy inspiration, "it's to the Coort we'll be goin' - Mr. Dane's- it's hard by, only jist off the road, and not more than a mile or less."

"But I don't know Mr. Dean."

"An' what 'ud that signify? When I tell yer honor he'd be deloighted to see ye. Shure the house 'll be full of the quality at this time, and the Coort 'll be four times as big as the Cassel, or maybe with his head on one side as if he were carefully measuring the two premises with his mind's eye

"She's .me own father's sister's cousin by marridge, an' she lives quite convaynient-ye can see the light in her shebeen from here. If yer honor 'll mind the jeunet, I'll run an' ask her" or maybe five." if she can give yer honor a lodgin' for the night."

The proposal was of course wholly out of the question, so I decided to It seemed to be my fate in Ireland to push on for Micky Sullivan's, in the be holding distressed quadrupeds while fervent hope that he might have a the driver was away on some errand spare room which I could occupy withor other; but I was fast losing my out the embarrassment of having to sense of wonder at anything, and was share it with his wife's relations, or now almost prepared to take everything their pigs. At the top of the hill the as a matter of course; so I stolidly jennet turned up a lane after a brief awaited Dan's return. For the first opposition on Dan's part, and I asked time since we had left the railway sta-him why he had tried to prevent her tion he showed signs of dejection when from turning. be came back.

"It's bad luck yer honor has this time at last," said he (I suppose, by

"Spake low, yer honor," he whis pered; "this do be the way to the Coort, and the jennet knows it; but if

I cross her too much she'll go ivery | lying on a sofa in a warm room, my step to the hall door, and that's what head was bandaged, and as I opened yer honor doesn't want to do. No my eyes they met those of an elderly matther, if I can only coax her past gentleman with a singularly pleasing this gate. It's the gate to the Coort expression of countenance, who, bendand bedad, we're through it! "ing over me, asked if I now felt better. he exclaimed with genuine or well sim- It proved to be Mr. Deane, the owner ulated surprise and annoyance, as the of the Court; and strange to relate, jennet suddenly shied through an open when he presently said that he was gate, "an' we're on the grass too, bad" delighted" to see me, such was the cess to it!" charm of his manner and presence that I found no difficulty in believing him. He received my apologies for my unwilling intrusion with the most perfect good-breeding and bonhomie, and he combined with these such an evidently genuine spirit of hospitality and desire to set me at my ease, that he shortly succeeded in making me feel completely at home. Not only that, but having fortunately escaped with bones unbroken by the evolution which deposited me within a few yards of his door, and with no greater injury to my head than was repaired by a good night's rest, I was induced by my incomparable host to stay and eat my Christmas dinner with him.

Whether it was the offspring of the jennet's spontaneous villainy, or whether that most perverse of animals was aided and abetted, if not actually instigated, by that almost equally perverse of drivers, I shall probably never know; but the fact remains that she was no sooner through the gate and on to the grass than she sprang into her collar, and in a moment, aided by the slope of a gentle decline, was incontinently off at a gallop.

"Pull up, you: infernal idiot!" I shouted. "Is this any way to be tearing up to people's houses whom one doesn't even know? Pull up the brute's running away.”

"The divil a fear, yer honor; I'll He is the last man in the world to pull her up right enough in wan minit," wish to hear his own praises sung, and and he tugged, or seemed to tug, at the out of deference to him I shall refrain reins with all his might and main from giving any details of his unand then, "By the holy piper! but yer bounded hospitality. But this much I honor's word was a thrue one she is may say without undue violation of runnin' away, an' the divil himself confidence, that I never spent a hap-. wouldn't hould her now. Sit tight, yer pier Christmas; and that the pleasure honor, and don't be a morsel afeared; I have gained by coming to know my there's no danger, let alone fear, and | friend, Mr. Deane of the Court, has Mr. Dane 'll be deloighted to see ye." more than repaid me for all the horrors By this time we were crashing of my "wild drive in Ireland." through a clump of laurels, my hat had been knocked off, and I had received more than one blow from the breaking branches.

"Sit tight, now!" screamed Dan again; "Mr. Dane 'll be deloighted — " That was the last word I heard. A strong bough took me across the head, I felt myself flying through the air, and balls of blue and green and red fire danced before my eyes as I came with a crash to the ground and lost consciousness.

From The Nineteenth Century. IF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS WERE ABOLISHED?

AN act to abolish the Commons House of Parliament is scarcely within the scope of practical politics, and a man who could seriously propose such a measure would probably be regarded as a lunatic. Certainly no one in his senses would voluntarily attempt so great a revolution as that of removing When I recovered my senses, I was from the Constitution the most impos

ing and conspicuous portion of its ma- | necessarily bring the Constitution to a chinery.

standstill. With a little modification and adaptation of existing practices it would be found that matters might go on, in effect, very much as they do at present. The main difference would be that we should then recognize the real character of our system of government, as it has developed itself in comparatively recent years, instead of

But institutions are apt to lose their real power and working efficiency long before anybody would think of taking active steps to do away with them. It is generally felt that the House of Commons has not increased in dignity and authority of late years; but it is not, perhaps, recognized that the lower chamber of Parliament now performs concentrating our attention on the cumfunctions of government, legislation, brous and antiquated House of Comand administration considerably less mons vesture which hides the structure important and valuable than those with and true anatomy from our eyes. which it is credited, not merely in the Take the chief nominal and ostensivague theory of the Constitution, but ble functions of the House of Comalso in the opinion of most English-mons, and consider how far the House does actually perform them at present.

men.

(2) Administration and executive

(3) Financial policy and management.

(4) The discussion of abuses and the redress of grievances.

(5) The appointment of ministers. (6) The testing and selecting of public men in debate.

Ask any person of fair intelligence The most important of these functions, what the House of Commons is and according to all the text-books and what it does, and his answer, given theories of the Constitution, are these: without much thought of the matter, (1) Legislation. would probably be to the effect that it was the real, if not the nominal, sov-control. ereign body in the Empire; that it made our laws, chose our ministers, and controlled the executive in the daily conduct of affairs; that it was the supreme custodian and steward of the nation's purse; that it was the great arena for the discussion of national business, and the main instru- It is impossible to maintain that the ment for the redress of all public griev- House of Commons still retains its old ances. This is the view of the House and theoretical supremacy and effiof Commons to which Englishmen have ciency in all these matters, or indeed been accustomed from childhood, and in any of them. The Cabinet in the they accept it mechanically. But a first place, the caucus in the second, little close consideration of the subject the platform, the press, public opinwould show that of all the great func-ion, society, and other powers and tions commonly attributed to the House influences, have encroached on the of Commons there is scarcely one dominion of Parliament, and more parwhich is now performed satisfactorily ticularly on that of the Lower Chamby that assembly, or which is not per-ber, in one or other province, till now formed quite as efficiently by some there is none in which the control of other agency. One may go further, the House of Commons is absolute, and and say that, shattering as the blow to scarcely one in which it has not largely our sense of settled order and stability abandoned the real, though not the would be if the House could suddenly formal, authority and effective force to be destroyed, its destruction would other hands. Let us take the points not necessarily produce absolute chaos. mentioned in their order. The extinction of the Commons, supposing that by some miracle it could be THE HOUSE OF COMMONS AS A LEGISaccomplished quietly, quickly, and

painlessly, without disorder, revolution,

الان

LATIVE BODY.

THE law-making function is, if not

or violent perturbations, would not the oldest, at any rate the most digni

fied, showy, and conspicuous attribute [nett, Professor Huxley, Mr. Stead, or of Parliament, and the one that strikes Mr. Tom Mann, none of whom is or the popular imagination with the live- was in Parliament, would not have as liest force. It has so far dwarfed the much direct power to get measures other powers and duties of the great accepted or rejected as most members national councils that we commonly of the House of Commons. But, intalk of the two Houses, and sometimes deed, what power has any member of of the Lower House alone, as the leg- the House to shape legislation, except islature. But can any one really affirm the few who compose the inner ring of that the members of the House of the Cabinet for the time being? Mr. Commons do now make the laws of Balfour is one of the most powerful these realms? To do so would exhibit and influential men now alive; he has either a hardy disregard of facts, or behind him the enthusiastic devotion else a comprehensive ignorance of the and respect of a constituency which is conditions under which the public numbered by millions; he is accepted, affairs of the nation are conducted. with unquestioning satisfaction and Every member of Parliament, with the sincerity, as the representative of their exception of about six or eight who political opinions, by nearly one-half sit on the front bench to the right of the inhabitants of a great country. His the speaker's chair, would admit, if he position, even if supported by less brilspoke the truth, that he had little moreliant ability, renders him a critic of real power to make laws than the legislation whose lightest words are writer of these lines. Like him, the listened to with attention; nor do I M.P. has a right to criticise, to object, deny that such attention is bestowed to suggest; but that is all. The "leg- upon him by ministers, or assert that islator," it is true, may utter his criti- they can afford to disregard his argucisms, his objections, or his suggestions ments or his proposals. Nevertheless, in a way that appears to give them a in the present Parliament, and until a certain air of authority, and may help general election has changed the posito secure them some necessary degree tion of parties, Mr. Balfour can neither of publicity; though even then it is legislate nor— as far as the House of much to be doubted whether a seat on Commons is concerned ―prevent legisthe floor of the House, where it slopes lation on any subject of a controversial away to the mountainous and unre- nature; that is to say, on any subject garded solitudes below the side gal- which is of sufficient importance to leries, has any advantage over the excite widespread interest. No doubt position I am permitted to occupy in if Mr. Balfour chose to bring in some this review; or whether the orator who harmless or colorless measure addresses an attenuated House in a amendment of the Dental Acts, let us speech of half an hour's duration say, or a bill to regulate the placing of (neatly summarized in five lines of the street letter-boxes he would have a Times the next morning) can be said to good chance of carrying it into law; exercise an effective influence over the but even then that would only be belegislative projects of ministers greater cause the minister whose department than that possessed by anybody else it touched might be disposed to take a who has the opportunity of addressing favorable view of it. Mr. Balfour's his countrymen by writing or by word position and personal influence would of mouth. Certainly I should be sur cause the suggestion to come before the prised to hear any thoughtful person ministerial mind with greater weight seriously maintain that such men as than if it had been made by a writer in the late Cardinal Manning or the pres- a newspaper; but beyond this Mr. ent Archbishop Vaughan, or such as Balfour has really not much more Mr. Herbert Spencer, Mr. Auberon power to get even an administrative Herbert, Mr. Charles Booth, Mr. Fred-reform carried than any casual correeric Harrison, the Rev. Samuel Bar- spondent of the Times. If the depart

an