Meeting GRAND CROSS just now, moodily crossing Corridor, Prince
said,--"Well, we're not the only parties changing places. I see,
from the newspapers, that the planet Mars has already gone into
Opposition."
GRAND CROSS severely shook his head. There are some things too sacred
for a joke; his leaving the India Office is one. Moreover, not free
from certain jealousy in the matter. Fact is, been, so to speak,
"on the joke" himself. Modest merit, like murder, will out. No use
attempting to burke what is open secret. All those funereal jokes
in young Cross's speech--his "course of obituary notices" as ASQUITH
happily put it--were really GRAND CROSS's. CROSS _pere_ composed them
in the seclusion of Eccle Riggs, and made them over to his son.
"Would never do, WILLIAM HENRY, for a man in my position to publicly
make a joke. I am not sure how it befits the Junior Counsel for
England in the Behring Sea Arbitration. But we must risk that.
There they are," he said, handing him a packet of manuscript in a
black-edged envelope, "and may a father's blessing accompany them.
Pages:
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52