and Sir William Harcourt, both of whom were
present at the conference, learned that the English
Nonconformists were determined, as usual, to
show no mercy towards moral delinquency, how-
ever high the character borne by the delin-
quent. The Nonconformist party have always
had a strong influence in English politics, and,
of course, the Liberals would in any event be
unable to stand without their support. Indeed,
the Irish Nationalists might very well have seen
that the Nonconformists would be certain to
judge Charley on the moral issue alone, and that
their judgment was certain to be implacably un-
favourable. Mr. Gladstone, besides being in-
fluenced by them from party motives, was also
one who could not dissociate private morality from
public usefulness. His decision was therefore
soon made up.

On November 24, 1891, he wrote that letter to
Mr. Morley which proved to be the turning-point
of Charley's whole career. In it the Liberal
leader unhesitatingly threw his whole weight into
the scale against his ally. I shall content myself
with quoting a single sentence from the long letter,
which expresses Mr. Gladstone's attitude in a
nutshell. After referring to the fact that, in view
of the opening of the session on the following day,

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