Words cannot convey adequate impression of the subtlety of emotion conveyed by this unwonted, perhaps unprecedented, invocation.  An unmistakeable, though unspoken, indication of mingled feeling—­pity for one so meagrely endowed, and marvel that, out of boundless stores, the Deity could, even in this instance, have been so chary of gifts.

Business done.—­Still less in Committee on Irish Land Bill.

Thursday.—­Rival shows in both Houses to-night.  Lords running the Newfoundland Delegates at the Bar; in the Commons Budget on.  On the whole, Commons drew the fullest House, to which JOKIM descanted for nearly three hours.  If he’d taken two, the speech would have been a third less long, and three times as successful.  Still the Budget comes but once a year, and CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER feels bound to make the most of opportunity.  Pretty plain sailing for first two hours.  Then JOKIM ran aground.  It was General STAMPS that did it all.  Appeared unexpectedly in long list of details setting forth Estimates for Revenue in coming year.  Nobody ever heard before of the General; thought, at least, he must belong to the Army Estimates.  But JOKIM would have him in, spurs and epaulettes, and all.

“General STAMPS,” he said, regardless of grammar, “have fallen off.”  JOKIM, in his loose way, omitted to say off what; presumed to be his horse.  House not sorry to hear it; had enough of the mysterious warrior.  But he was up again a few minutes’ later.  “General STAMPS,” JOKIM continued, in his airy fashion, “apart from the Death Duties, I reduce from L6,700,000 to L5,900,000.”

“Better reduce him to the ranks at once,” said Admiral FIELD, who is a terrible martinet.

But JOKIM took no notice of the suggestion; floundered along, bungling terribly.  Committee tried to help him out; that didn’t help matters much.  To have a Member in one part of the House filling up an awkward pause by suggesting “dried fruit,” another “coffee,” a third “rum,” and a fourth “probate duty,” when after all, JOKIM was thinking of the Income Tax or General STAMPS, evidently not designed to advance matters.

“The Committee knows what I mean,” JOKIM said, piteously, looking round out of a morass a little deeper than he’d been in lately.  But that is exactly what the Committee didn’t do.

“Then,” said JOKIM, “you’ll understand the figures when you read them in the papers to-morrow.”  Something in that; House mollified; still can’t help thinking that if it is to wait till next morning to read report of Chancellor’s Budget Speech in order to understand his statements, some preliminary time might be saved in the evening.

Business done.—­Budget brought in.

Friday Night.—­Missed OLD MORALITY from Treasury Bench; looked in his room; found him in arm-chair, collapsed, by fire-place, with copy of Morning Advertiser in his hand.

“What’s the matter?” I asked.  “Surely you’ve not been reading JOKIM’s Budget Speech right through!” He certainly looked as if he had.