XXXV POLITICAL, SOCIAL, LITERARY 157 



lature underwent some transformation : "I was in 

 the House of Lords," he writes, " which was a much 

 longer room than it really is, with a large chimney- 

 piece, armchairs, sofas, etc. The House of 

 Commons did not sit as long as we did, and used 

 to come and listen to our debates. Almost 

 before we began they trooped in. Chamberlain 

 took a comfortable armchair. 



" Then began some charades. Asquith took 



Miss X up to Haldane, who was standing 



with his back to the fire, and made some sort 

 of an address. Then Haldane floated up the 

 chimney, and after some interval came down 

 again, covered with soot." 



This is not given by any means as a specimen 

 of the finest flights of fantasy of which he was 

 capable in his dreams. Still, some of its incidents 

 — especially the last — are such as would be 

 sufficiently improbable in real life. 



Not so well known as many of his other books, 

 but one which was of much use and interest 

 to those to whom it made its appeal, is Coins 

 and Currency, which also he brought out this 

 year. It was a subject of which, on almost all 

 its various sides, he could write with special 

 knowledge. As a banker and student of finance 

 he had his opinions on the " currency " question 

 ready formed, and as an antiquarian his study 

 of coins, and even his collection of coins, gave 

 him authority in that division of his subject. 

 A note in his diary records his gratification at 

 receiving from Mr. Grueber, of the British Museum, 

 the gift of a coin of Pontius Pilate. 



In this, as in all his books, he took immense 



