Anything like noise or disturbance around him seemed to destroy his power of thinking.

For instance, when he was being cross-examined by Sir Richard Webster in the course of the Forgeries Commission, his friends trembled one day because, looking at his face, with its puzzled, far-away look, they knew that he was in one of those moods of abstraction, during which he was scarcely accountable for what he said.

And sure enough he made on that day the appalling statement that he had used certain language for the purpose of deceiving the House of Commons.

He said to me that he liked to speak in an empty House because then he had time to collect his thoughts.

Joe Biggar, his associate, was also able to speak in any circumstances with exactly the same ease of spirit.