over; oath taken; roll signed.  New Peer turned to look at LORD CHANCELLOR; decidedly more friendly; haughty, forbidding, distrustful look, vanished from his ordinarily genial countenance.  Young Peer encouraged to venture on friendly nod; LORD CHANCELLOR in response, lifted three-cornered hat, and on replacing it, was observed to cock it slightly on one side.  Procession now moved on towards doorway by side of Throne, where was set three chairs.

“A little slow isn’t it, Sir,” said Duke of CLARENCE to H.R.H.; “suppose we sit down here a bit; Black Rod will go and fetch us a flagon of Malmsey wine; am told they always keep a butt on the premises for stray Dukes.”

“No Malmsey for you, CLARENCE,” said the Gracious Parent; “but if you’d like to sit down a moment, you may.”

So new Peer sat in middle chair, Father and Uncle anxiously regarding him.  LORD CHANCELLOR slewed round on Woolsack to see what was going on behind him.  New Peer, making himself quite at home, put on hat; finding LORD CHANCELLOR staring at him, uplifted it; LORD CHANCELLOR did same with his.  Duke tried it again; LORD CHANCELLOR, comically half turned round on the Woolsack, followed suit.

“Do it a third time, CLARENCE,” whispered H.R.H., entering into fun of thing.  So the new Peer, always with his eyes gravely fixed on LORD CHANCELLOR, who, in the excitement of the moment, had got his left leg cocked over the Woolsack, did it a third time; LORD CHANCELLOR did the same; Princesses in the Gallery sweetly smiling; Garter King-at-Arms totting off the number of salutes; and Black Rod thanking his stars that presently, when they left the House, he could walk face forward, not as when he visited the Commons, walking backward like a crab.

“I think that’ll do,” said H.R.H.  “HALSBURY is in very uncomfortable attitude; besides this is a sort of game that palls after the third round.  Go and say good-bye to HALSBURY, and we’ll go and have a cup of tea with your mother.”

Procession reformed; New Peer led up to Woolsack, where LORD CHANCELLOR, with little gesture of surprise, as if he had only now caught sight of him for first time, shook hands with him.  Prince of Wales lifted his cap to LORD CHANCELLOR; LORD CHANCELLOR lifted his cap to Prince of WALES; the other Princes followed suit; Black Rod toddled off; and the gay and gorgeous procession disappeared through the doorway, leaving the Chamber in sudden twilight, as if the sun had dipped below the horizon.

An exceedingly friendly meeting all round; quite contagious.

[Illustration:  “Toby, M.P., I presume?”]

“TOBY, M.P., I presume?” said BROADHURST, as I walked out.  He had been looking on, and had quite caught the graceful manner of the LORD CHANCELLOR.  I raised my hat three times, and went on to the Commons, where there were wigs on the Green.

Business done.—­In Commons, Compensation Clauses withdrawn.

Tuesday.—­TIM HEALY puts final spoke in wheel of Compensation Bill.  Rose after questions on paper disposed of, and asked for ruling of SPEAKER on an important point affecting Parliamentary Procedure.  TIM’S manner boded ill for the Government—­deferential, low-voiced, with total absence of self-assertion or aggression, TIM stood, the very model of a modest young man.