It all lay outside the facts of life, far beyond the actual horizon, like the affairs of a distant relation from whom one has nothing to hope, not even personal contact, and of whose wealth and greatness one does not boast much, because of the irony involved.

Information upon all these matters was duly put before Elgin every morning in the telegrams of the Toronto papers; the information came, until the other day, over cables to New York and was disseminated by American news agencies.

It was, therefore, not devoid of bias; but if this was perceived it was by no means thought a matter for protesting measures, especially as they would be bound to involve expense.

The injury was too vague, too remote, to be more than sturdily discounted by a mental attitude.

Belief in England was in the blood, it would not yield to the temporary distortion of facts in the newspapers--at all events, it would not yield with a rush.