THE DEMEANOUR OF ENGLAND. 265 side ? Could he do this thing against one whom chap. he still was entrusting with the command of our army, against one from whom, even so lately as the last preceding week, he had been asking secret counsel upon State business of the deepest moment ? In the happier days of the autumn the Duke, I am sure, would have answered such questions with an indignant ' No.' But the prospect had darkened. Public anger by this time had risen, was rising, still rising. At such a time plainly the Minister could not get himself welcomed inW the midst of the angry multitude, if the most he could say of himself as a finder and slayer of victims was simply that he had asked for explanations, and might expect them in five or six weeks. Plainly, if he would troop with the accusing throng, he must himself become one of them, must himself become an accuser — an accuser of the positive kind, not awaiting ex- planation or proof. He heard the people below crying out at Lord Eaglan and the Headquarter Staff; and, since now his own real convictions were setting against the same officers, might not he also go down and hoot ? In thus turning against Lord Raglan, and hiscoi- entering on the sinister course for which we now itsfnttag. see him preparing, the Duke of Newcastle acted with the ready assent of his colleagues. There were reasons enough why the Ministers Grounds on — and the more so in this adverse time — should ooverament not be deserting their general. They had ad- bl'lnex-*^ jured him, whether approving or not, to invade a give urd
