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20 May 1882 — 3 Savile Row | |
Saturday. 20th [May 1882]. Directly after breakfast I walked up to Queen Anne St hoping to walk & shop with Blanche. Found her still at breakfast & not at all well so did not take her out. Alice Du Cane happened to come in from Lang. Hse so I asked her to walk with me back to Savile Row & we went in to several shops in search of a hat for me but did not find one to suit. Alice went home with a maid & Henry & I started in a hansom for 12 Princes Gardens. Just as we set out we met Morelli & made him follow in a hansom. We lunched with Sir Wm & Miss Drake & he showed Morelli some of his fine things. The wind (E) was high & it was very dusty & unpleasant. At 3 Henry & I went off to Charing X to take the train to Lady Well. We got in to Cannon St just too late for the train & had to wait there ½ hour. We walked from Lady Well station up the hill to the cemetery to see Grannie’s grave. We found it very neglected & so we went to the superintendent’s house & arranged with him to keep it planted with flowers for £1 a year we then walked back to the station & after waiting a little while got a train for Cannon St. There we were again just too late for the Charing X train but only had 8 mins. to wait. We got home quite tired at 6.40. Sir Wm Gregory dined with us & entertained us very much with his account of the past winter at Cairo. It appeared that an Englishman insulted a Hungarian Baron & then refused to fight him. The Baron declared that unless a jury of honor sat & declared the Baron exempt from cowardice he was lost & wd be cut in his own country. Sir Wm Gregory [&] several other Englishmen of high position sat on this jury amongst them was a dapper little military Englishman who was introduced to Sir Wm as Col. Fairfax. The Col. took Sir Wm’s fancy so much that he introduced him to Lady G. Said Col. sent Lady G bouquets & was most charming– Four days after Cairo was electrified by the news that the delightful Col. had been arrested for fraud & forgery & had attempted to cut his throat. Sir Wm declares that even now he can hardly believe it as the man seemed such a perfect gentleman & “swore like me.” An American told Sir Wm that the man had been some time in America & was such a favorite with everybody that tho’ on leaving he drew cheques wh were dishonored his friends let him go & did not prosecute him. After he had attempted suicide & lay in the hospital the Dean of went to visit him. The Col. seized his hand & said “I only wish to ask you one thing; do you believe I am a gentleman by birth?” The Dean said he could not deny that such was his belief. The Col. pressed the dean warmly by the hands & thanked him & asked no more. | |
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