Face to Face with Death,

and that the only alternative was an operation so serious that it might itself involve death, he realised at once the gravity of his position. It took until the Sunday morning to prepare the necessary instruments, agree as to a plan of operations, and make final arrangements. During this interval the poor sufferer was as a condemned man awaiting his doom. As the hours passed by he appeared to positively shrink up with the sufferings, mental and physical, which he was going through, and for the first time he spoke of a successor. He told his colleagues that ho now saw it would be better for him to resign. Under such circumstances they passed the matter off lightly, and bade him be of good cheer and trust that the operation would be successful. On Sunday Sir Robert Stout came, and a message awaited him at the wharf to proceed at once to the Premier's residence. There he found Mr. Ballance waiting to give him his last requests and directions as to eventualities in the too probable event of his not surviving the ordeal he was about to go through. All the Cabinet Ministers in Wellington were assembled at the house, and there was an effecting good-bye between them and their chief, Ministers whom the public would think least likely to give way finding a moistening of the eyes and a choking of the throat. With Mrs. Ballance, faithful wife and all-sacrificing nurse, there was, too, an affecting parting, and then came the word from the doctors that all was in readiness.