No man recognises his own unfitness for such work more clearly than I do, Mr.Monk.But if I took in hand such work at all, I should like to be the leader, and not the led.

Tell us fairly, now, what are your convictions worth in Mr.Mildmay's Cabinet ?" "That is a question which a man may hardly answer himself," said Mr.
Monk.
"It is a question which a man should at least answer for himself before he consents to sit there," said Mr.Turnbull, in a tone of voice which was almost angry.
"And what reason have you for supposing that I have omitted that duty ?" said Mr.Monk.
"Simply this,--that I cannot reconcile your known opinions with the practices of your colleagues." "I will not tell you what my convictions may be worth in Mr.
Mildmay's Cabinet.

I will not take upon myself to say that they are worth the chair on which I sit when I am there.

But I will tell you what my aspirations were when I consented to fill that chair, and you shall judge of their worth.

I thought that they might possibly leaven the batch of bread which we have to bake,--giving to the whole batch more of the flavour of reform than it would have possessed had I absented myself.