196 THE CLERK OF THE WOODS 



in and find it occupied. But on that point 

 it was idle to speculate. As well expect a 

 simple congressman to drop into the Speak- 

 er's chair, leaving that functionary to dis- 

 pose of his own corporeal dignity as best 

 he could. Prescription, provided it be old 

 enough, is the best of titles. What other 

 has the new king of Great Britain and Ire- 

 land? 



If it was shortly before schooltime, on 

 one of those mornings when the weather 

 seemed to be laying itself out to establish a 

 record, the talk was likely to be of ther- 

 mometers. 



" My glass was down to nineteen below," 

 one man would say, by way of starting the 

 ball. 



" Mine touched twenty at half-past six," 

 the next one would remark. 



And so the topic would go round, the 

 mercury dropping steadily, notch by notch. 

 As I said a week ago, whiter was winter in 

 those days. It may have occurred to me, 

 sometimes, that the man who managed to 

 speak last had a decided moral advantage 

 over his rivals. He could save the honor 



