become a question of personal honour. I had declared on my arrival that I would not join the League, that declaration had been widely circulated by my opponents. If after a short interval I forgot that declaration, I would enter Parliament with a character for inconsistency, which would render the position worthless. The career I had promised to myself as the only one suitable in the present condition of Irish affairs, was such a one as Mr. Bright adopted in England, taking always the course which I thought was right, without looking for any political sustainment in the House or outside of it, which did not come spontaneously, and serving Irish interests more effectually by not being bound by any preliminary undertaking. This was not a policy designed to create a party, but simply proper to my position and antecedents. If I could not do the good I projected, I would at any rate do none of the harm threatened; but Isaac Butt insisted so stubbornly on his programme that I determined to return to Australia.
I went with Mr. Michie to the Royal Academy to choose pictures for the Melbourne Gallery, and encountered a difficulty of which we make too little account at the Antipodes. We agreed upon six pictures, and were much satisfied with the choice, but when we applied to the clerk in charge of the sale catalogue for the prices we found five of the six were already sold. As it was still early on the first day, when only invited persons were admitted, they were probably sold in the studios before they were hung.
I breakfasted with Lord Emley. He told us a good story of the experience of a footman who went on a visit to a fellow-servant in the country, who was the Major-domo of a septuagenarian squire. While they were at luncheon the master's bell rang violently. "Confound him!" said the Major-domo, "how troublesome he is; he wants his luncheon I suppose. Come upstairs till you see what a lesson I'll give him." The visitor accompanied his friend to the anteroom of the squire's bedchamber, and heard him address his master in an angry tone. "What the deuce do you mean by disturbing me at my meal? I tell you flatly I'm not going to stand that sort of thing, and that if you don't behave yourself better, you and I will part. I have brought you something to eat, which is
