anticipating renewed delight from their pleasure and perplexity?  The Baron wishes that ANSTEY and GUTHRIE had settled between them to call it Tourmalin’s Time Bargains; but it is very likely that if ANSTEY suggested it, GUTHRIE rejected it, or, if the Baron may be permitted to say so without infringement of copyright, “vice versa.”  It is a great satisfaction to know that unlike the ERCKMANN-CHATRIAN collaboration, the ANSTEY-GUTHRIE partnership cannot be dissolved.  JEKYL-AND-HYDE can cease to be, and JEKYL may alone survive; but the Baron rejoices in the fact of the mysterious bond between ANSTEY and GUTHRIE being indissoluble.  Read Tourmalin’s Time Cheques, and remember the prognostications of THE BARON DE BOOK-WORMS.

* * * * *

[Illustration:  A SWEEPING REFORM.

Crossing Sweeper.  “WOT’S THIS HERE?  WOT!  DO AWAY WITH THE ‘CLEAN-YOUR-DOOR-STEP’ HAMATOOR, AND MAKE IT A PAID PURFESSION!!  WHY, S’HELP ME, THEY’LL BE DOIN’ AWAY WITH ME AND MY BROOM NEX’, AND P’RAPS ‘AVE THE CROSSIN’S SWEP’ BY MASHEENERY!  YAH!”]

* * * * *

ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.

EXTRACTED FBOM THE DIARY OF TOBY, M.P.

House of Commons, Monday, April 6.—­School reopened after Easter Holidays.  OLD MORALITY duly in his place, but not many of the boys.  Civil Service Estimates on; PLUNKET in charge on Ministerial side; SAGE OF QUEEN ANNE’S GATE Leader of Opposition.  Hammered away all night on old familiar lines.  Ghosts of old acquaintances feebly crossed floor, disappearing behind SPEAKER’s chair.  Kensington Palace, with its cost; Bushey House; Cambridge Cottage; admission to Holyrood Palace; the deer in Home Park at Hampton Court; the pheasants in Richmond Park; the frescoes in House of Lords; the Grille of the Ladies’ Gallery:  the British Consular House at Cairo—­each came up in turn; talked about; protested against; explained; divided upon, and voted.  PLUNKET left to himself on Treasury Bench; bore up with unflagging energy and perennial patience; has heard same points raised every year since he was First Commissioner; has made same replies, and has seen Votes passed.  Long before he was in office same thing used to go on with other First Commissioners.  That was before the SAGE had taken to politics.  Good old RYLANDS—­“Preposterous PETER”—­was then the Grand Inquisitor.  But it was the same deer, the same gas-bills, the same question of free residence for “that eminent warrior,” as the SAGE to-night called him, the Dook of CAMBRIDGE.

Oddly enough, almost only flash of humour through long sitting came from GEORGE CAMPBELL.  Gave graphic description of his hanging about Holyrood Palace hankering after admission.  According to existing regulation, admission to be gained only after bang goes two saxpences.  For sixteen years Sir GEORGE ever lured to vicinity; sometimes casually entered doorway, proposing to loiter past ticket-collector;