The issue is understood and knit; and now let us troop into the lobbies, and proclaim to the world either our abject unfitness to govern an empire and pass a real statute, or let us stand by our great mission and mighty leader.
[Sidenote: John Burns's penetration.] Not even yet do levity and faction surrender the final hope of doing mischief.

At the door of the House, as I have already said, stands a Scotch Liberal doing the work of Tory Whips, and attempting to capture young members who have smoked their pipes or drank their tea, or wandered up and down the terrace by the peaceful Thames--all unconscious of the great and grim drama going forward upstairs.

He catches hold of John Burns, among others--a sturdy son of the soil ready to receive, as might be hoped, anything which calls itself sturdy and independent Radicalism.

Over honest John's manly form there is a fight; but he has a strong, clear, practical head over his muscular body, and at once penetrates to the underlying issue, and walks into Gladstone's lobby.
[Sidenote: The division.] At last the division is nearing its close, and the excitement--perhaps, because it is so painfully repressed--has grown until it has almost become unbearable.

Whenever there is a close division like this, several things happen which never happen on other occasions.