If the Irish members had not perceived this blunder immediately they would soon have been brought to a sense of coming disaster by the movements on the opposite side.
[Sidenote: Chamberlain on the spring.] Mr.T.W.Russell is always at the service of Mr.Chamberlain at such a moment.

A platform speaker by training and by years of professional work, accustomed to make most of his case against Home Rule depend on the characters, the words, the acts of the Irish members, he has, of course, at his fingers' ends, all the useful extracts of the last thirteen years.

At once he was seen to rush excitedly from the House.
Every Irishman knew at once that he was going to the library to reinforce his memory with regard to the date of Mitchelstown.

A murmur arose on the Irish Benches; slips of paper were passed up to Mr.Dillon to recall to him the facts of the case; but, either in the hurry and excitement, or because he did not appreciate the situation immediately, Mr.Dillon went on with his speech--unconscious of the abyss that opened up before him.

Meantime, Mr.Chamberlain--pale, excited, his face torn with the workings of gratified hatred and coming triumph--sat forward in his seat, his eyeglass shining from afar, eagerness in every look, pose, movement.
[Sidenote: Chamberlain pounces.] At last Mr.Russell was back in his place; it did not require much second sight to see that his quest had been successful, and that he had brought to Mr.Chamberlain the ammunition he required in order to slay John Dillon.