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16 January 1882 — 3 Savile Row | |
Monday. 16th January [1882]. I was busy in the drawing room & rang for something. When Jerry answered the door I found I was a prisoner as the door handle would not move. I had to wait ¼ hour till a locksmith was fetched. Then I got out & sat with Monty while he breakfasted and we had a talk over household arrangements. I began to cut out some cretonne covers for my drawing room chairs. Henry & I drove out in the brougham & had a new horse who was with difficulty persuaded to leave the door. We went to the S. Kens: Museum & took our two Spanish custodias to be exhibited there– Sir P. Owen was not there but we saw Mr Robinson, my first acquaintance with him. He struck me as a mean little creature & I can understand how he makes himself so unpopular. When we returned to our carriage we found our prancing steed was still disinclined to proceed & stuck obstinately in the gateway. Henry & I got into a hansom & left the coachman to cajole him back to his stables & we went to Connie’s. Henry went up to see her & I remained talking to Kemie Austin. I saw Mr Burton there & consulted him abt my knee which pains me a good deal & is very stiff. We returned home in a hansom. I got out my sewing machine & worked it till dinner. Monty came in & sat talking the while. Sir Arthur Otway, Mr Fergusson & Mr Gayangos dined with us & we had a pleasant talk over the cigars & cigarettes afterwards. Sir Arthur told stories abt Sir Henry Bulwer, amongst them one that while Sir A. was under Secty with Lord Clarendon, Sir Henry being in the house of Commons had given notice that he was going to attack the estimates which put out the Govt very much seeing that Sir Henry was a diplomatist. However Sir Arthur being a great friend of Bulwers went to see him the very day of the debate to try & soften him. To his surprise & consequent delight he was told on going to Bulwers door that Sir Henry was very ill indeed so ill that he had quite lost his voice that he was in bed & likely to be there some time. Grieved to hear that his friend was so suffering, at the same time that he was glad to escape the fuss in the house, Sir Arthur went up to condole with Bulwer. He made signs in answer to Sir A’s enquiries—& whispered out a few words which Sir A. had to strain & bend down to hear. After a short time Sir A. left him & went straight to Lord Clarendon’s—asked to see him on important business & told him triumphantly that all danger was over & Bulwer could not make his attack. Lord Clarendon’s only reply was—“You had better go down to the house & take your papers. I know the man he will be there”– Otway objected that it was impossible—that Bulwer was speechless & suffering &c. Ld Clarendon insisted that Otway had better take his advice wh he did thinking Ld C. was curiously obstinate & incredulous. When the moment came in the house for the estimates Otway was electrified by a loud clear voice behind him beginning an attack & on turning round beheld his friend Bulwer who had amused himself by playing this comedy upon his dear friend. The conversation fell upon burglars & Sir Arthur told a very funny story of a scene between a Miss Young, an elderly spinster & a burglar at Richmond. One night she found a man hid in her room & was about to scream when the man begged her not—saying he was not there to hurt or insult her or anything of that sort—he was merely a burglar & wanted her valuables– He then proceeded to look for her jewels & she the while directed him where to find them– He did not find the things & told her she had better get up & show him herself. At which she objected that she could not get out of bed while he was in the room. The burglar at once said very politely, oh Miss I will turn my back while you get up & put on your dressing gown wh he proceeded to do & she got up & found him the valuables on which he thanked her politely & departed. | |
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