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19 February 1885 — 1 Queen Anne Street | |
Thursday. 19th February [1885]. Wrote &c in morning, paid bills &c & went to see Blanche. Directly after lunch I went to see Susan Hambro to say I would be ready at 4 to go to the House with her to see the first setting of Parliament. Went on to Mama & there meeting Maria I went on with her to Marshall & Snelgrove to help her choose a gown & then hastening home found Susan at my door & we drove off to the House. Edward had given us places in the Ladies Gallery. There were a great many more policemen & detectives than formerly & our names were asked & we had to show our order– There are very stringent new rules since the dynamite explosions & the stranger’s gallery was in consequence empty. For some time there was nothing very interesting going on. When Gladstone came in there was a feeble cheer & ditto when he stood up to make a statement on Egypt. He said he would keep strictly to facts—said this war was to be continued that it would have to be suspended during the hot months & that the Govt was ready to hear anything the Mahdi might have to say. In speaking of Gordon he called him Genl Gordon & catching himself up said “the Lamented Genl Gordon”. He sat down in perfect silence. His speech had had no fire in it & fell very flat. Sir Stafford Northcote seized the opportunity Gladstone had lost & made a short but telling speech abt Genls Gordon, Eyres, Earle & Stewart & sat down among cheers. Abt 6 the House went into committee & Susan & I returned home. We had a dinner party consisting of Dr Sir Andrew & Lady Clark, Mr & Mrs Lecky, Dr & Mr Smith, Mrs Kay, Mr Kinglake, Mr Sydney Colvin & Alice Du Cane. Sir Andrew was very amusing but rather eccentric. He said he was horrified at Gladstones’ blunder in having been to the theatre the day the fall of Khartoum was published in London. I told Sir Andrew that it was said he had insisted on Gladstones’ doing it wh he declared to me was quite untrue. He said it was stupidity not want of heart on Gladstones’ part but that it would cost him much popularity. | |
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